The Gaslight Anthem

Editorial Review

Blues, rock and punk get drunk together in a recording studio as The Gaslight Anthem watch from the sidelines.

Event Details

Music Type:

Blues

Editorial Review

Most punk bands don't cite Bruce Springsteen as an influence - even if they do hail from the same part of New Jersey. After all, The Boss isn't very punk. That technicality doesn't really bother The Gaslight Anthem; they have no qualms name-dropping Springsteen. After all, good music is good music.

That ability to cross genre is probably the group's defining aspect. They might play punk, but they take their influences from a range of musicians and styles; everyone from Tom Waits and Wilson Pickett to Joe Strummer. Those influences have clearly rubbed off because the bands debut album, Sink or Swim, sounds like blues/rock walking down a backstreet named punk. Whatever you want to call it, the group's sound and album was warmly received by both critics and fans.

A follow up EP, Senor and the Queen, was released late last year and saw the band continue to develop their punk meets blues aesthetic. With a second LP due later this year, The Gaslight Anthem are gearing up for another shot at the title. Having built a solid underground fanbase, it's time to take their music to the world stage. They certainly have the tunes and the songs to do just that. The Boss would be proud.
Mikolai, June 2008