Try-It Tuesday (8-23-22): American Slang by Gaslight Anthem

 

Note: On Tuesdays I will be reviewing albums that are new or at least new to me.

Album Released: 2010

About Gaslight Anthem: They formed in 2006 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. American Slang was the band’s third album. The band went on hiatus from 2015 until announcing in March 2022 that they were working on a sixth album.

Members: Brian Fallon (Lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Rosamillia (Lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing vocals), Benny Horowitz (drums, percussion).

What I Know: I stumbled upon singles “45” and “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” sometime over the last decade. I like their pop-punk sound.

Did You Know? According to stacker.com, Bae is the most popular slang among American youth. It is a term of endearment for a beloved person in your life. … Lead singer is also a part of the duo the “Horrible Crowes.”

Why this album: One of the songs was featured in my Spotify “Discover Weekly” playlist. I had enjoyed previous things I’d heard from this band but have never taken a deep dive into their catalogue.

My thoughts on American Slang: The longest song on this album is 4 minutes, 12 seconds, and it’s clear this a group trying to write catchy, steady beat, guitar-driven rock. I’m fine with that. The vocal and lead guitar tones are distinctive, and they lean into both regularly.

The title track opens the album, it’s the most popular song according to Spotify. It sets the tone and pace I mentioned above.

I think this an album if I listened to it twenty times, I could start to distinguish the individual tracks, but after a first listen it was hard to pinpoint much unique from one song to the next. The exceptions to this are the title track, which I think is just a cut above the rest, and the final track.

The album closer is “We Did It When We Were Young.” The pace is slower, but the layered vocals provide some interesting moments. The rock vocal on top is nearly the same as the rest of the album, but slowed down, and below that is a lower, deeper backing vocal that provides an echo effect. The wall of sound builds as the song crescendos. Just an effective tune.

The Wrap: This has a very 2000s sound, reminiscent of a band like the Ataris. If you are into that, you’ll like this album. Like I said, the standout points are the title track and the final track. Nothing in-between stands out after one listen.

You’re Up: Let me know your thoughts on this album, or anything new to you that you are listening to this week.