The Gaslight Anthem
American Slang (SideOneDummy)
The first thing that spring to mind here is that The Gaslight Anthem are very American. Might seem like a strange or irrelevant thing to say but you’ll see what I mean when you listen to the song.
It also doesn’t help the song is called ‘American Slang’ – coincidence, eh? A catchy tune from this growingly successful act, who obviously draw a lot of inspiration from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, who happens to come from the same state. Coarse vocals are cut through with heavy power guitars giving the overall sound more of a rock vibe, with subtle personal touches scattered throughout. A hint of self-exposure comes through in the song, which is explained when Fallon describes it as the first time he’s sung about his own personal experiences on one of their albums.
The Gaslight Anthem may be a little genre-confused as I’m sure they set out to be more punk, and punk this is not. Inoffensive with glaringly American blue-collar lyrics, ‘American Slang’ possibly draws too much inspiration from Bruce Springsteen, failing to discover its own identity.
Hannah Roger
