strange Gaslight Anthem review

here's a strange Gaslight Anthem review I have just spotted; the guy seems in two minds, but clearly likes the band; some of his observations are intriguing, others seems somewhat off

http://mcnutt.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/in-which-mcnutt-considers-manufactured-plots-and-the-gaslight-anthem/

i can't tell if the guy is a dick or if he's just dumb. "They're awesome, but they're a one-trick pony" "They probably can't go further than the sound they have now but keep making records that sound the same because I love them"

"I hate brian but he saved my kid's life so I love him."

Here's a little message to the guy who wrote that post: form an opinion and stay with it. No one likes a flip-flopper.

you gotta wonder how some of these people get jobs criticizing others' work.

The fact he calls himself a culture worrier makes me want to call him an utter dick. That asside he needs to form a better opinion before publishing them for all to see.

McNutt? Really?

As much as his first paragraph rings true, this only applies to The '59 Sound, which I think, in the long TGA career run, will be a standalone type of record - too far away from their debut, too outlandish for what may be to come (we don't know that yet, so). That may be what he means by "one-trick-stallion". Again, he sounds very confused, but as he stated himself, it's been a very weird year in his life. (very Fight Club-ish, by the way).

Hey, I've heard people complain that most of the audiences at TGA shows, at least those last 6 months, were mostly there because and for The 59 Sound - not necessarily knowing or digging SoS. To me The '59 Sound is a tribute to Brian's influences, a composite of everything they've been listening to ad nauseam while touring for the first opus, and not necessarily "their" sound. There are too many influences to be noticing there, and I think Brian mentioned in a Sky interview that they were "purposefully obvious". So in that sense, yeah, The '59 Sound is a one-trick-pony, and the band will be back to its original roots - or take a 180° - with their third album.

Quote :

but there’s always this hint of self-awareness lurking in the corner of
your brain as you listen, a piece of you that knows that this entire
plot is manufactured from another generation’s playbook.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. It's not because you refer to other times that they do not feel genuine to you. You can perfectly live your life in the '00s while feeling you belong to another era and/or channel feelings that your parents/grandparents must have gone through (isn't it what the title song is all about anyway?) I know we all here come from a variety of places, but where I come from, this pretty much still rings true, and Jersey is still famous for its roadside diners, so I don't think there is any less authenticity simply because Fallon watched Straight to Hell or Clark Gable movies instead of living them. That's kind of the point of art, really. To make you feel something even if you are not at the origin of its creation.

It's too bad the author of the article feels so confused, because he nailed it in three sentences:

Quote :

Perhaps it’s because these strange scenarios feel certain in a way that
my 21st century existential angst can never quite claim to be be.
Perhaps it’s because we haven’t quite figured out how the modern world
is supposed to work quite yet, so we find comfort in these
pre-established storybook routines.

It's okay, we're all kind of awash at sea those days...

kieran wrote:

The fact he calls himself a culture worrier makes me want to call him an utter dick. That asside he needs to form a better opinion before publishing them for all to see.

haha i read that at first as "that ass-side" like you were calling him some made up insult.

Hi, McNutt here.

It always amuses me when I try to explain my love for something with a bit of nuance or complication that it can inspire some vitriol (and given that I've spent much of 2009 listening with both 59 Sound and SoS never leaving my CD player, I'd say I certainly do love Gaslight) Better than inspiring nothing, I suppose.

A few quick comments, if you'll indulge me.

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Quote :

i can't tell if the guy is a dick or if he's just dumb.

Why is this an either/or proposition? Can't I be both?

--

Quote :

"They're awesome, but they're a one-trick pony" "They probably can't go
further than the sound they have now but keep making records that sound
the same because I love them"

I chose "one trick STALLION" quite intentionally. Because while it may keep repeating itself, it never ceases being stunning. That's my point about Gaslight - I'm not convinced that this is a band that is going to significantly evolve or change to my usual tastes (normally I champion bands that dramatically modify their sound as their career advances) but I'm also not sure I care. I think they could make similar records for the rest of their career and I'd probably still love them for the vibe and atmosphere they create.

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Quote :

The fact he calls himself a culture worrier makes me want to call him
an utter dick. That asside he needs to form a better opinion before
publishing them for all to see.

I'm using "culture warrior" with a healthy dose of irony, I assure you. But your typo makes me think that "culture worrier" would actually be a way more accurate - and awesome - descriptor of my blog. I kind of want to start using it.

--

Quote :

To me The '59 Sound is a tribute to Brian's influences, a composite of
everything they've been listening to ad nauseam while touring for the
first opus, and not necessarily "their" sound.

I don't know if I agree. I think the differences between SoS and The '59 Sound are minimal, although I will acknowledge that my essay mostly concerned the latter. To me, The '59 Sound feels like the record that SoS wanted to be, just more polished and accomplished. But I guess the next record will really help shape their creative narrative.

--

Quote :

That's kind of the point of art, really. To make you feel something even if you are not at the origin of its creation.

That's kind of what I was getting at, I think - the idea that authenticity in the literal sense matters far less than the emotional core at stake. But I am intrigued that there isn't a lot of bands - good bands, at least - writing songs about things like iPods and text messaging and the standard means of modern romance. Instead, we still hear bands writing about radio stations and telephones. How long will the motifs of the baby boom generation survive as our standard archetypes?

Good points.

--

Quote :

you gotta wonder how some of these people get jobs criticizing others' work.

Ahh the beauty of the Internet - I can write this stuff for free and people can take it or leave it as they see fit. But I do thank all of you for reading and responding - like I said, it's better than knowing that no one's paying attention. I eagerly await an opportunity to write about Brian and the boys again, once we see what they have up their sleeve for the next record.

- McNutt

haha
nice to see the author himself here, if only to hold us all accountable about the things we say online that we wouldn't dare say in person! im not speaking about anyone that posted on here, just in general.


"The irony is that to a 21st century 20-something, the particularsof
a Gaslight Anthem song are almost wholly unrelatable and rather
unrealistic. "

i don't understand why lyrics about "old cars, fast women, worn-out diners" would be wholly unrelatable...but ill save a big long paragraph here.

i think maybe some of us may have missed the point about "one trick STALLION," and i can see your point.



the reason i found the review weird was not about whether or not you liked the band; i certainly am not of the mindset that everyone needs to love this band just because i do. i get your point now, but it took more explaining here than from the original post. the review was confusing because, as the original post said, the reviewer seemed to be of two minds.

but anyways thats old news, don't mean to drag it out, i doubt you want to spend all this time explaining a short review you wrote.