The Gaslight Anthem Band • Page 51

I stand with confidence as the only vote for Misery. I love that song!

 

What the fuck is this Mulholland run? If National Anthem loses I'll be super bummed

 

Mulholland Drive is the best Gaslight song post-American Slang.

 

Brian’s vocals and the awesome guitar part makes me love Mulholland so much

 

I will see you in court

 

National Anthem is one of the more boring “ballads” that Fallon and Co. have done, in my opinion.

 

I Could'a Been a Contender

Mae

Meet Me By the River's Edge

Misery

Mulholland Drive

 

I just love the lyrics.

 

your words hurt

 

No disrespect to "Mulholland." That song is just one of the reasons that Handwritten is their best guitar record. I'm fine with it winning. I just thought people liked "National Anthem" more.

 

I'da Called You Woody Joe
Keepsake
Meet Me By the River's Edge
Miles Davis & The Cool
National Anthem

 

Thanks for all the votes and insights on each track, everyone! I'd count the votes but I'm way too tired. Updates on scores and the next phase of round one starts tomorrow!

 

Hey, I voted for it, too.

 

I'da Called You Woody, Joe
Mae
Meet Me By The River's Edge
Miles Davis & The Cool
National Anthem (such a tough decision)

Tough round.

 

I Could'a Been a Contender
Mae
Meet Me By the River's Edge
Miles Davis & The Cool
National Anthem

 

Absolutely. I adore the lyrics on that track and I think the guitar truly elevates it above everything else on that album.

 

Reported

 

I'da called you Woody
Mae
Mama's Boys
Miles Davis
Mulholland

 

To be fair though, Handwritten is the record I go back to the least. So even having those two songs against each other was “meh” for me.

 

It's firmly in my top three, all of which switch around. I'm currently in an "American Slang is their best record" phase. But I think the inner three are significantly stronger than Sink or Swim and Get Hurt, and I go back to them a lot more often.

 

I Could'a Been a Contender

Mae

Meet Me By the River's Edge

Miles Davis & The Cool

Mulholland Drive

 

Contender
Mae
Meet Me
Miles Davis
National Anthem

 

I like the record and never skip a song when it comes up on shuffle or whatever, but when I intentionally seek out Gaslight it's always Sink or Swim, 59 Sound, American Slang, or Get Hurt. Handwritten sits in it's sleeve far more than any of my other Gaslight records.

I've never really identified what it is about it. Maybe the production? I remember feeling like some of the songs sounded a bit thin or not liking the guitar tones in some of them.

 

Huh, that's kind of crazy to me. I think the guitar tones on that record are the best sounding of anything in their discography. Comparing the guitar sound on that record to something like American Slang, everything sounds fuller and more prominent on Handwritten. Rosamilia's leads are a big part of the reason that I love that record.

 

I think it really comes down to ear & production. The beginning of HCMM with that reverb snare is gorgeous, and I think the guitar sounds great on that song, but then a song like Desire doesn’t sound as good to my ears. It sounds thin and tinny. That’s even one of my gripes with 59 sound, there’s some spots where the clean guitar is too high end for me. There’s a low end on Get Hurt that isn’t there on Handwritten, which I really enjoy in songs.

As far as American Slang goes, I’ve always looked past the production on that record because I really liked the songs and structures and lyrics. Handwritten has a couple of those (handwritten, 45, here comes my man) just not as many for me.