Gaslight Anthem is a veteran band with very little to prove, but nothing can stop their freight train of hard rock power ballads. The New Jersey-bred four-piece has built an enticing discography brimming with a sound all to its own. This winning sonic formula has garnered the band co-signs from some of the biggest names in modern music and earned them critical acclaim across the board. When looking at their impressive resume, Gaslight Anthem only sees the opportunities it can provide. After over nine years the ambitious band is back with History Books, their latest outing. The ten-track LP is brimming with everything that earned Gaslight Anthem its longevity as a collection of accomplished musicians who stick to their roots with a bit of added flair.
There is a juxtaposition at the heart of History Books. The band was able to take intimate and deeply personal lyrics and set them to stadium-sized melodies for a stunning contradiction. This allows each element of these songs to shine on its own as the fireside-style lyrics perform an interpretive dance with the chugging and jangly arrangements. The tempos and tones are free to dip in and out of varying styles, giving the album its unique structure and head-spinning tracklist. The creative freedom of Gaslight Anthem is palpable on History Books as they piece together a sprawling set of songs to cement their legacy as a powerhouse in the realm of rock.
Gaslight Anthem created an album that puts their poetic songwriting against their thirst for larger-than-life arrangements and soaring harmonies. The band held nothing back as the album explores a plethora of areas in the band’s creativity. A powerful track like “Positive Charge” with its face-melting guitar work is quickly juxtaposed by the softer, and more psychedelic “Michigan, 1975”. Gaslight Anthem can toy with its instrumentation thanks to the consistency found in the album’s songwriting. No matter the texture he has to traverse, head singer/songwriter Brian Fallon pens moving poetry that evokes very specific emotions on each track. A single like the explosive “Little Fires” is able to feel at home next to the confessional and Western-style anthem “The Weatherman” thanks to Fallon’s emotional transparency and mystical style of songwriting.
History Books is a layered outing from Gaslight Anthem that is as familiar as it is refreshing. Longtime Gaslight Anthem fans will be pleased with the varying arrangements as the band traverses a colorful palette of moods and tones. Newcomers will be taken aback by the band’s unique diversity and lyrical dexterity as Gaslight Anthem pens gorgeous words to drive their latest outing. History Books is a detailed LP that requires multiple listens to pick up on every nuance it has to offer, an effortless album brimming with pure rock bliss.
One Response
Amen
wonderful review. Thank you