ATP! Album Review: The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

For several years now, The Gaslight Anthem have been touted as the next big rock band; the heirs apparent to Springsteen’s crown, destined to fill stadiums and headline festivals the world over. Sophomore album "The 59 Sound” was universally praised, it's predecessor “American Slang” received similar treatment from fans and critics alike, but it is their fourth effort, “Handwritten”, which will kick-start their ascent from young pretenders to genuine staples in the rock canon.

Frontman Brian Fallon announces the bands’ intentions as soon as the chorus of opening song ‘45’ kicks in as he sings “turn the record over/I’ll see you on the flipside”. Fallon spoke before the release of the record about saying goodbye to their old material and starting afresh, and “Handwritten” sees the band break loose of the shackles of the punk scene that birthed them and fully embrace their hard rock influences. ‘45’ may not be the biggest departure from their previous work, but as a statement of intent it acts as a life-affirming, exciting introduction to The Gaslight Anthem Mark II.

Thankfully for existing Gaslight fans, “Handwritten” does not bring with it a fully-fledged change of sound or direction for the band. Instead, this is an impressive body of work which encompasses the many styles which they have showcased to great success in the past, whilst pushing further into hard rock territory than ever before. The aforementioned ‘45’ and ‘Howl’ show that Gaslight can still write bouncy, energetic punk songs with the best of them, whilst fans of the more expansive sound on “American Slang” will be happy with the inclusion of cuts such as ‘Handwritten’ and ‘Desire’.

It is the album’s mid-section that represents the band’s stepping into previously unknown territories. Mid-album trio ‘Keepsake’, ‘Too Much Blood’ and ‘Biloxi Parish’ are straight-up rock songs - the heaviest that Gaslight have released to date and the biggest reflection of the hard rock influences that the band members have always cited. The band’s blues influences are also worn wholeheartedly on their sleeves, the instrumentation stripped back and the pace slowed down. As a result, the tracks are allowed space to breathe, carried by Fallon’s powerful voice and the ever-impressive lead guitar from Alex Rosamilia. The lead guitar line on ‘Keepsake’ was made for stadiums and the riffs contained on these three songs in particular, but also elsewhere on the album, should see the band appeal to a new audience of rock fans who may have been discouraged by the punkier leanings of the band’s earlier material.

Fallon's vocals on “Handwritten” are arguably the best they have ever sounded. Perhaps encouraged by his work in The Horrible Crowes – whose influence can be heard clearest on the cinematic ‘Mae’ - perhaps by the familiarity of the new direction that Gaslight have taken, Fallon sounds more confident in his abilities than ever before. Whereas in the past he may have been pushing his vocals to uncomfortable levels, he has now found his range and sounds stronger for it. ‘Biloxi Parish’ in particular is a track that, were it not for the power exhibited by Fallon throughout, could fall flat. Instead, the frontman carries the song, allowing Rosamilia the freedom to roam his own fretboard and create the swinging, blues-inspired track present on “Handwritten”. As well as noticeable improvement on Fallon’s behalf, lead guitarist Rosamilia has also taken the opportunity to spread his wings and show everyone just what he can do. “Handwritten” contains several guitar solos, and the lead lines are more meandering and expansive than on previous releases, without losing any of their urgency. The distinction between Rosamilia as lead and Fallon as rhythm guitar has never been clearer, and the songs are more intricate and sprawling for it.

“Handwritten” does not just bring with it a change of style for The Gaslight Anthem, but also a change in approach. Fallon spoke before the album’s release of abandoning the characters and Americana-influenced stories which have dominated his songwriting in the past, instead focusing on his stories, his experiences. The more personal nature of the lyric writing led Fallon to hand write all of his words, a fact reflected in the album’s title and in numerous songs over its course. It seems to be an effective approach as it has produced the most honest Gaslight record yet. The title track revolves around the lyric “every word handwritten” and ends with the refrain “with this pen I thee wed from my heart to your distress”, Fallon highlighting its handwritten nature and intrinsic honesty. Such heartfelt sentiments litter each track, before coming full circle in reflective style on the closing duo of ‘Mae’ and the plaintive, acoustic ‘National Anthem’.

Various references to spilling blood emphasize the honest nature of the lyricism, so much so that on ‘Too Much Blood’ Fallon worries that “if I only tell the truth/are there only lies left for you?” The more personal nature of the songs’ content is obvious in Fallon’s voice – here is a man who is enjoying his music, singing with a smile on his face, and if this is the sound of the true Brian Fallon, it ought to be welcomed with open arms.

The band still have a firm grasp of the Americana they have always portrayed so brilliantly, and Fallon has lost none of his penchant for painting a vivid mental image in the mind of his listener - a feat particularly prevalent on album highlight ‘Mae’. The recognizable Gaslight tropes of fast cars and the radio remain, but Fallon now recognizes the redeeming capabilities provided by music. References to listening to the radio – often whilst driving – resonate with Fallon’s new-found honesty to suggest that he has discovered the healing quality of having his real voice heard, and is embracing it.

So much talk concerning The Gaslight Anthem revolves around how they sound reminiscent of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen or The Clash, but with “Handwritten” they have produced a rock album capable of placing them firmly on a level playing field with their heroes. If it is not yet enough of a compliment to say that a release sounds like the Gaslight Anthem, then “Handwritten” is the album which will show the true nature of the band to the world - taking them one step closer to being the band to which new groups are compared and held to in the future.

5/5

"Handwritten" is out on July 24th through Mercury Records.

James Tremain