If you asked me if a band like Gaslight Anthem would make it big in today’s music scene, I’d probably answer no. It’s not that I don’t like them. In fact, I love them – The ’59 Sound was one of my favorite albums of last year. I just wouldn’t think that a punk band that sounds like its listened to plenty of Bruce Springsteen would be what the kids were into these days. But thankfully they are and now I find myself writing about the band’s latest single, “Great Expectations.”
What I love about this song and just about everything else the band’s written is that it sounds like front man Brian Fallon is wise and experienced beyond his years. If the sound of crackling vinyl in the beginning of “Great Expectations” isn’t enough, Fallon’s references to singing 60’s songs, hitting up diners, and listening to radio in prison makes it sound like the man has experienced the best America has had to offer since the Great Depression. As much as I’d like to believe that Fallon and company have been around for decades collecting story after story from each American era, I’m just as content knowing that they’re just great storytellers. The ’59 Sound is drenched in references to Americana, and the fact that these young lads can pull it off so well attests to their skills as great songwriters and performers.
Below check out The Gaslight Anthem’s video for “Great Expectations.” The video’s just a performance, but the simple decorations of an old jukebox and dusty chandeliers manage to capture the band’s spirit perfectly.
