Album Review: The Gaslight Anthem - iTunes Session

In a short space of time, The Gaslight Anthem have become behemoths of their scene. Sharing a stage with living deity and main influence, Bruce Springsteen, of all people, as well as releasing 'The 59 Sound', one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the decade. It's no surprise that the band who openly wears their influences on their sleeves (literally, in the form of tattoos) would record an EP comprised of mostly cover songs. The synthesizers featured in the original version of 'Baba O'Riley' by The Who are substituted by a guitar which sounds nearly identical, Brian Fallon's vocals sound anthemic and match Roger Daltrey's pipes, note for note. Long forgotten outtake from 'The 59 Sound', 'Our Father's Sons', reinvigorates the sound heard on the first listen of the aforementioned opus. The lyrics of the song reminds fans of the main themes of youth and religion that the 59 sound had. The re-imagination of 'Boxer' from last years 'American Slang' slows down the meteoric, fast paced tempo that the song originally had.

'House of the Rising Sun' provides a grand finale to the EP. Brian Fallon's voice howls to heights that we have never heard on previous material and demolishes the floodgates, creating an overwhelming avalanche of pure soul hitting our ears with Alex Rosamilia's lead guitar wailing to the heavens in the background. 'The iTunes Session' from the Gaslight Anthem provides unreleased outtakes as well as cover songs mostly performed at past shows by the band, maintaining the original feel of most of the songs but putting a slight twist on them.

4/5

'iTunes Session' is out now.

George Gadd