The resulting musical progeny would sound a hell of a lot like The Gaslight Anthem.
Lead singer Brian Fallon's gravelly, soulful pipes bear an uncanny similarity to those of The Boss, but the criminally underrated New Jerseyans churn out the fervent, heartfelt music of their punk predecessors. 2008's The '59 Sound is a stripped-down, earnest rock record: tinged with bittersweet nostalgia and tales of small-town, blue-collar America. There is something refreshingly old-fashioned about The Gaslight Anthem, from the way the album sounds like it could have been recorded on vintage microphones to the retro imagery the group employs ("...in my head there's all these classic cars and outlaw cowboy bands... I always kinda sorta wished I looked like Elvis," sighs a disconsolate Fallon on "High Lonesome".) The titular tune, which ponders the death of a friend, could strike a nerve in even the most stoic listeners as Fallon asks, "Did you hear your favorite song one last time?" Both Springsteen and The Clash could attest to the vital ingredient which gives music real authenticity and significance: gritty honesty. And The Gaslight Anthem has that ingredient tucked safely into all of their recipes.
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