Gaslight Anthem- American Slang CD

This 2010 album marks an extraordinary leap forward for The Gaslight Anthem, revealing a triumphant Rock 'n' Roll band honed by two years of nearly non-stop touring. Singer/guitarist Brian Fallon's lyrical approach has grown more personal and introspective, his raw throated vocals stronger and more resonant against the band's boundless dynamic force. American Slang is a classic Rock 'n' Roll album that will be a benchmark for other bands to measure themselves against and try to mimic for generations to come.

• 1 American Slang
• 2 Stay Lucky
• 3 Bring It on
• 4 The Diamond Church Street Choir
• 5 The Queen of Lower Chelsea
• 6 Orphans
• 7 Boxer
• 8 Old Haunts
• 9 The Spirit of Jazz
• 10 We Did It When We Were Young

With their hearts on their sleeves and their feet planted firmly in the garden state, The Gaslight Anthems third album, American Slang, plays out like an offering to Springsteen, the patron saint of heartland rock. The feeling on this album is considerably more relaxed. All of the punk rock tension and urgency have been replaced by a more patient and heartfelt mood. This change of pace really gives the listener the ability to sit back and take in the scenery on their musical Rust Belt road trip, making for a more moody, understated experience. There are still a few uptempo rockers on the album, with Stay Lucky and The Spirit of Jazz bringing back some of the speed that old fans might be used to. The rest of the album works in a more mid-tempo space, giving singer Brian Fallon's weathered voice room to work, allowing him to really dig in and make the best use of the laid-back melody on Bring it On and the spaciousness of We Did it When We Were Young. The prevailing feeling throughout this album is that American Slang represents a more mature sound from The Gaslight Anthem, showing us a band that has grown up enough to start attempting to fill the shoes of their influences.

-Gregory Heaney, AllMusic.com