SideOneDummy

If The Gaslight Anthem’s sophomore effort ‘59 Slang announced the arrival of a new contender on the accessible punk rock circuit, its latest American Slang cements the band as a long term player. Like its forefathers Social Distortion, this is a band that’s as brawny in its muscular sound as it is emotional in its confessions and declarations of pride, love and brotherhood. “Bring It On” churns with broken-halo sainthood, “The Queen of Lower Chelsea” is all Jersey-toughness and machismo tempered by a bruised heart and head and “Old Haunts” is a cathartic vamp through bittersweet memories. While the Jersey natives channel similar musical spirits to Lucero, Jesse Malin and Social D, they nod heavily to the state’s greatest musical pride, Bruce Springsteen (the band even shared the stage with him last year at the U.K.‘s Glastonbury Festival). The band proves the theorem that imitation is the greatest form of flattery with “The Diamond Church Street Choir.” It’s so Springsteen that it’s uncanny – as if someone turned up a forgotten B-side to Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. that was deemed too heavy for the record. While punk rock is based on simple elements – some chords, an attitude and something to say – it’s increasingly rare to hear a band like The Gaslight Anthem that has formulated a sound it to make it memorable.