The Gaslight Anthem – The 59 Sound

I’m going to get this part out of the way; there are obvious comparisons one can draw between The Boss and The Gaslight Anthem – songs jam-packed full of blue collar, do or die, salt of the earth stories as well as that from-the-heart vocal work – but I’m sure you’ve heard all of that before (right?).

Instead, I’m going to focus on a slightly different fact: The Gaslight Anthem – which combines the rock and roll aesthetic of Social Distortion, emotional vulnerability of Jimmy Eat World and the aforementioned qualities of Bruce Springsteen – are an encapsulation of what makes American music great. The Europeans have their melodic tendencies and waif-like bodies to get them through. Us, well, we have our work ethic and D.I.Y. mentality that gets poured into the tunes we craft.

Upon listening to The ’59 Sound you can’t help but believe that these guys would have your back in a bar fight and still be charming enough to meet your grandparents. So strap on your Chuck Taylor’s, your most worn blue jeans and leather jacket; the new working class rock band has arrived at exactly the right time. America needs a new musical hero and The Gaslight Anthem is exactly that.

 

Captain Morgan
Big Wheel Music Contributor
 

 

 

 

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