I have talked a little bit about how I first came to start listening to this band in the post I did last year about another Gaslight Anthem album, The '59 Sound. I really, really love that album, but I never really connected with American Slang in quite the same way. When I first caught wind of this new effort, I really didn't know how I would take to it, but I figured the least I could do was give it a shot.
I actually ignored the first single, "45" because I was still not sure if i was going to be interested in a new album. But then the band had a preview of another track of their album, "Here Comes My Man" and the similarity to a certain Tom Petty tune title piqued my interest. I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with this new single, and just kept listening to the four tracks they had up on their website. I could not get enough. I went back again and "Here Comes My Man" was no longer up for streaming, but I found myself drawn to "45" enough that I would keep going back to listen.
The moment I knew I had fallen in love happened a week or two later. I was driving and listening to one of my favorite radio stations, and I heard the opening riff from "45" and I found myself bouncing up and down in the driver's seat and clapping my hands like a seal. Yes. I show my excitement by bouncing and clapping. Yes. I am mostly just an over-grown toddler with a kick-ass taste in music, but that is mostly besides the point right now.
Since then, I have been all over any little tid-bits the label has let loose. There were 30-second song clips on some foreign iTunes website that I once again found myself listening to repetitively. Last week was the StumbleUpon clips and contest (which resulted in me tweeting a lot about the band and the album, but its cool) and finally, today, I got to stream the album courtesy of NPR. I have listened through two times now, and have paused it on the third listen in order to listen to a YouTube video of the song that I paused. I must say, overall, this album is not exactly what I was expecting, and considering all of the previewing I was able to do, that seems odd to me, but that doesn't mean that I am not pleased.
As far as I am concerned, the fact that only a few of the songs have totally hooked me is a good thing for the album. That means that there will be time for other songs to grow on me as the first few loves fade, thus ensuring a long life together with my stereo/iPhone/computer/car stereo/whatever else I use to listen to music.
Right now there are three songs that I just can't get enough of. Those songs are "45" "Here Comes My Man" and "Mulholland Drive." There are a few more that are on the brink, and a few that sit a little further back, but those three are the ones that will be calling me back to this disk again and again.
Handwritten comes out next Tuesday, July 24, and you can bet that Ill be out at the local record store picking up a copy or two.
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