The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

Here it is… one of most anticipated records of 2012, The Gaslight Anthem’s Handwritten. A band once heralded as a talented rock influenced punk band, they have made a full transformation into one of the true great rock bands of our generation through honesty, courage and a genuine talent for songwriting.

This release, being their fourth proper record, is a testament to the rewards that one can reap from taking a chance on something different. From their humble beginnings on the mostly melodic indie punk record Sink or Swim, you caught a faint glimpse of the sound that was to come in later years. This was a sound that truly began to take shape on their sophomore masterpiece The ’59 Sound, through use of their trademark howling melodic punk sensibilities melded with blue-collar rock and roll. This was a trend that would carry over into their last release, American Slang. It was on this record that they made it clear that the times have changed and so have they. While always shoring up the foundation of their sound, the punk elements were mostly only prevalent in the roots of the bands music at this point.

At first listen, I was honestly a little disappointed with Handwritten. It just didn’t have its talons clenching around my heart like The ’59 Sound or American Slang did. Those were both records that had a very immediate impact on me emotionally and I was expecting an experience much the same with this release. After several more listens, it dawned on me that this record very much so was having an effect on me… just in a much more subtle way. I was lulled into a nostalgic daydream, reminiscing on being a child in my grandparents bar prior to opening time. My grandfather would toss me a quarter with a smile and tell me to play the jukebox. Almost every single time, I would play the same record…. Bruce Springsteen’s single for “Glory Days”. Being that it is a song that I deeply associate with my childhood, to have a modern band strum those same heartstrings was very moving.

Handwritten is a very different record than anything the band has released previously. The use of Americana rock and roll elements is at its most heavy handedness, but I feel that this gives the record a very organic ebb and flow. The songwriting maturation between the last record and this one is the greatest step forward that the band has ever seen between releases. Each song carries a very real weight that one can only assume was inspired by significant personal experience, be it positive or otherwise. The bottom line is that there is a raw honesty in these songs that I feel really makes this band howl and what we are finally hearing is the real Gaslight Anthem.

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