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MUST BUY: The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

With major label debuts always being crapshoots, it’s refreshing to hear a band use theirs to take their songs to the next level. From my review:

Handwritten is a Gaslight Anthem album through and through. The band, more so than ever before, seamlessly merge classic and contemporary influences in their songwriting, and not since 2008’s fan favorite The ‘59 Sound has frontman Brian Fallon sounded so assured or wholly charismatic … Brendan O’Brien, by all accounts a big name rock producer, is behind the glass for Handwritten and to his credit, he doesn’t try to steer Gaslight’s sound toward something it shouldn’t be. Instead, the band sound like an assured group of veterans (which they aren’t, really; due to their prolific nature, it’s easy to forget that they’ve only been around since 2006) that have come into their own as musicians and songwriters, atypical timing for a major label debut. But then again, the Gaslight Anthem are an extremely special band. Their ascent, meteoric as it has been, will only continue with the release of Handwritten.

Time will obviously tell if Handwritten thrusts the Gaslight Anthem into the public consciousness, but the album’s more than good enough to warrant the attention. (Mercury)

THEN BUY: Fang Island - Major

Fang Island’s sound is brimming with positive vibes. They’re infectious without being too cloying, and unabashedly poppy without the vacuousness normally associated with pop music. Major sees the band reveling in huge piano jams in some spots ("Kindergarten," "Chime Out"), but mostly bringing the rock, with huge, perpetually soloing guitars and anthemic choruses ("Seek it Out," "Never Understand,") that altogether sound like the soundtrack to a long-lost ‘80s sports movie. (Sargent House)

BANDCAMP RECOMMENDATION: Cut Teeth - Televandalism EP