ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Here we are: five albums and eight years in, The Gaslight Anthem have hit the ‘reset’ button. The band has made a bold departure in its sound, moving out of the heartland and into the mean city streets.
The Springsteen/Petty worship has served them well until this point, but it’s the stylistic forays into blues, folk, ambience and grunge that drive the songwriting on Get Hurt. Some may even have difficulty figuring out if it is indeed the same band at points – that is, of course, until the unmistakable howl of Brian Fallon enters the fray. His heart-on-sleeve conviction and piercing voice still make their home at the album’s core – he’s one of the few vocalists in contemporary music who can deliver a potentially cringeworthy line like “I still love rock’n’roll / I still call somebody baby” and have it actually mean something.
Fans of the band’s earlier, punkier days may throw off their cutoff denim vests in disgust, but Get Hurt isn’t an album for them. This album serves as a payoff to those that have duly noted The Gaslight Anthem’s growth and progressions across their discography – we are essentially witnessing a new pinnacle for the group’s creativity.
4.5/5.
