The follow-up to breakthrough second album, ‘The ’59 Sound’, ‘American Slang’ should further propel The Gaslight Anthem into the limelight.
Full of trademark late night romanticism and upbeat downheartedness, it’s less immediate than previous material, but nevertheless absorbs the magic of the world, distilling it into ten slices of trembling, impassioned rock ‘n’ roll.
The fevered dreams of ‘Orphans’, the soulful swing of ‘The Diamond Church Street Choir’ and the abject nostalgia of ‘We Did It When We Were Young’ meld the band’s classic influences and punk upbringing to create a sublime third effort bursting with broken-hearted, wide-eyed wonder.
9/10
Words by Mischa Pearlman