HANDWRITTEN: your impressions, comments, and declarations of love

CluckyB wrote:

Oh yeah, I certainly don't dislike the album either. The only reason I'm being super critical of it is because I know they have perfection in them. Even with all its flaws, I'd still probably put it ahead of On the Impossible Past and Exister for AOTY.

I wouldn't call it album of the year but it's a fine album. I kept waiting for something to blow me away or surprise me or anything. Instead, it sounds exactly like a Gaslight Anthem album produced by Brendan O'Brien should sound. It's a step in the right direction after American Slang but it's not a huge departure by any means.

While I too prefer 59 Sound, it is a little unfair to knock on Handwritten's lyrics too much; in my opinion, there are a few lyrical problems on 59 Sound too. The weird thing is, 59 Sound's problem is exactly the opposite of Handwritten's problem.

On Handwritten Brian kept saying how he wanted to trim the fat and be really direct, which is what leaves us with the lines you're unhappy about ("I'd just die if you ever took your love away" being the clear example-----but wait didn't you say you liked Desire? That's the one that has the most generic lyrics, IMO)

59 Sound on the other hand has a few spots where Brian is trying too hard for that vintage old school American lyrical sound. "Mustang Sally's left the building and we're so much worse without her" and "meet me by the river's edge, we're gonna wash these sins away" obviously don't have the simple sound of some of the worse lines on Handwritten, in fact to a casual listener they probably sound like examples of great songwriting. But in my opinion lines like that just come off as a little phony or maybe insecure is a better word; why must you make the Mustang Sally reference here? What does it contribute to the point you're trying to make? Now in other songs like Miles Davis & the Cool the references are worked in a lot stronger, with Miles Davis kinda serving as a muse to give him courage as he goes after this girl. But throwing in old-timey references just for the sake of doing it keep 59S from being perfect.

Now don't get this twisted, 59 Sound is my favorite album of all time haha. And I love Handwritten too. Just want to give my two cents in the lyrics discussion.

eagles1139 wrote:

While I too prefer 59 Sound, it is a little unfair to knock on Handwritten's lyrics too much; in my opinion, there are a few lyrical problems on 59 Sound too. The weird thing is, 59 Sound's problem is exactly the opposite of Handwritten's problem.

On Handwritten Brian kept saying how he wanted to trim the fat and be really direct, which is what leaves us with the lines you're unhappy about ("I'd just die if you ever took your love away" being the clear example-----but wait didn't you say you liked Desire? That's the one that has the most generic lyrics, IMO)

59 Sound on the other hand has a few spots where Brian is trying too hard for that vintage old school American lyrical sound. "Mustang Sally's left the building and we're so much worse without her" and "meet me by the river's edge, we're gonna wash these sins away" obviously don't have the simple sound of some of the worse lines on Handwritten, in fact to a casual listener they probably sound like examples of great songwriting. But in my opinion lines like that just come off as a little phony or maybe insecure is a better word; why must you make the Mustang Sally reference here? What does it contribute to the point you're trying to make? Now in other songs like Miles Davis & the Cool the references are worked in a lot stronger, with Miles Davis kinda serving as a muse to give him courage as he goes after this girl. But throwing in old-timey references just for the sake of doing it keep 59S from being perfect.

Now don't get this twisted, 59 Sound is my favorite album of all time haha. And I love Handwritten too. Just want to give my two cents in the lyrics discussion.

Desire is in the middle of the pack of the songs on the album, primarily because the lyrics aren't all that special. So its the opposite of Keepsake

I personally like ""Mustang Sally's left the building and we're so much worse without her" -- I donno, it just adds some color to the song. Sure it isn't direct, but who said direct is better? I'd generally rather take the country road than the highway (to an extent. If its too windey and takes too long its no good either. Direct is good, but not if you are so direct you miss the scenery). Old-timey for the sake of old-timey is better than bland. As far as "meet me by the river's edge, we're gonna wash these sins away", its a little cliché, but not that bad plus I'm a sucker Brian's religious references.

CluckyB wrote:

Quote :

Or maybe the album is really like a 9.5 but everyone calling it an 11 makes me want to call it an 8

I know exactly what you mean, though I don't feel that way about Handwritten. That's why I tend to stay away from most reviews (fan reviews aside) for anything, books, albums, movies... Expectations can really make or break something.

I’ve been waiting to post a “review” of Handwritten, allowing my thoughts to fully develop, as I’ve had some mixed feelings about the album since its release. I initially went back and forth on some things, but took my time to sort through and at this point, feel comfortable with my opinions of the album and more capable of reviewing it in an objective manner. (NOTE: Sorry I know it's a long post)

1. “45”- Upon hearing the single for the first time, I was excited, but not amazed. I thought it was a better single (and song) than “American Slang” and liked that its sound had subtle similarities to The 59 Sound album. It’s not their best single but definitely very solid. It fits perfectly as a first track and I really enjoy 45’s place on the album. The lyrics of the chorus are quite simple/lacking, but make up for it by being very meaningful. 9/10

2. “Handwritten”- Excellent song! One of the album’s strongest tracks. I wonder if maybe “Handwritten” should’ve been selected as the first single. I like/connect with a lot of the lyrics. The first time I listened to this song in my car (windows down & driving alone on a summer night) I got chills/goosebumps all over! 10/10

3. “Here Comes My Man”- Interesting song, but not a favorite, as it seems inconsistent. There are parts that I love, but also parts that I dislike; for example, the first minute & a half is great, but then the song changes its direction and almost seems like a different song. This is one of the more Bruce sounding songs on the album (there’s not many others though). I’m not a fan of the “sha la la’s” and think the song could do without them; they’re not awful, just a slight inconvenience. More than anything, I like and respect Brian taking a chance to do something different with this song, writing from a female perspective. 8.5/10

4. “Mulholland Drive”- Possibly my favorite track off of the album. I love it and everything about it! Brian sings with so much emotion, the lyrics are great, and Alex does a phenomenal job on guitar......especially the solo! He seriously reminds me of Slash with his guitar playing on this song......am I the only one who thinks the guitar solo on “Mulholland Drive” resembles the guitar solo of G&R’s “November Rain”? 10/10

5. “Keepsake”- Another strong track! I love the song’s sound, but I love/respect the lyrics even more! This may very well be the best song Brian has ever written. I don’t know if he’s ever written a more honest, personal, meaningful, & emotional song. I picture him struggling to work through his thoughts/emotions, but admire him for writing such a song that exposes some of his true demons to the world. I think this indicates some growth in his song writing and hope he becomes more diverse on future albums, incorporating other themes into his music. I love the harmonica in this song, but it seems a bit hidden. 10/10

6. “Too Much Blood”- I’ve read complaints about this song being too long. Sometimes I notice it and sometimes I don’t. I do like the song, but it’s not a favorite. Musically it’s great though! Also, I can’t believe I haven’t heard anyone comment about this song bearing resemblance to “Our Father’s Sons"......listen to the first 20 seconds or so of this song and tell me you don’t hear OFS’s. 8/10

7. “Howl”- Probably my least favorite song on the album. I like it better than I did after initially hearing it, but it’s still a weaker track for me. I’ve heard comparisons to “Orphans” but I think that’s incorrect, as I believe “Orphans” is much better. My biggest complaint is the “Aheyyyyy......” sing-along. 7.25/10

8. “Biloxi Parish”- Pretty good track but different than the live version and for me, a little hard to get use to at first. I’m okay with it now, but after only a few listens, I was upset with Brendan O’brien and what he did to Brian’s voice. He sounded like a robot to me, but like I said, I’m pretty much over it now. I am curious as to what the track would’ve sounded like without being over-produced, but I still like it. 8.5/10

9. “Desire”- While not a personal favorite from the album, this song got some extra unnecessary criticism in my opinion. It is a weaker track from the album, but it’s not filler and I won’t skip over it. But like “Howl”, I dislike the sing-along “Oh…Oh…Oh” and wish they would’ve done without it. 7.5/10

10. “Mae”- This is only the second track where I hear a Bruce influence. I like this song a lot and my enjoyment seems to be growing. At first, it was just an average track off of the album, but the more I listen, the more I like it. It has some cool lyrics too. It’s a little too steady (not slow, just a steady pace) where I would like to see it pick up more at certain times. 9/10

11. “National Anthem”- Only the third (and last) song where I hear a Bruce influence……not too bad for a guy who gets accused of ripping off his music. This song is a good closer, but “Teenage Rebellion” would also be a good closer. I know a lot of fans have made comparisons to “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” but truthfully, I don’t think this track compares much to BJ&WTS. I think it’s more on par with “We did it when we were young”, which is a solid track and has its place as a closer, but not one of the best on the album. 8.25


Regardless of what fans think about this album, it’s hard to deny its improvement musically/instrumentally. The band has really grown since American Slang. They all seem more talented, but most notably Alex’s guitar playing and Brian’s vocals. Brian’s songwriting has also improved in terms of quality of lyrics but also in his approach to writing, taking more chances to write honest, personal, and straight forward songs. He’s still learning and has some improvement to make with regard to adding other themes/topics to his songs/lyrics, but took that first step on this album. Their sound is more diverse and includes some new influences, but primarily is made up of loud, bold, heavy, mid-pace rock songs.

The album’s production is better than I thought it would be but still has moments of being over-produced, taking away from their sound at times, most notably on Biloxi Parish. I probably still prefer the production of Ted Hutt, but then again, who knows how his producing would translate to this album, with it being such a different sound. I can listen to Handwritten from start to finish without skipping a track, but just like American Slang, it doesn’t seem evenly distributed/organized, as the first half of the album seems significantly stronger, whereas to me, American Slang was the opposite, with the second half appearing stronger. One of my biggest complaints of the album are the sing-alongs- “whoa-oh whoa-oh”, or “sha la la”, or “Ahey……, or “Oh…Oh…Oh”. There’s just way too much of it! In one or two songs maybe, but definitely not five songs! The only sing-along that doesn’t bother me is from Handwritten. The last thing that sticks out as criticism I've already touched on with regard to Brian’s lack of creativity/diversity when it comes to implementing other themes/topics into his songwriting. The quality of his songwriting/lyrics is excellent and is improving, but you can’t write about lost love and youth romance forever.

Overall, I really enjoy the album; I think it’s great! I’m happy to have some new Gaslight tunes! The album represents the biggest directional change that the band has made thus far from one album to the next. It has many great points throughout and only a few points to be critical of. The tracks are capable of standing up to the bands songs from previous albums, just as Handwritten as a whole is able to hold its own with prior releases by the band. Based on my track by track scores above (for the first 11 songs only, excluding the deluxe/bonus songs) the album averages out at an 87%, which I believe to be a fair representation of my liking/opinion of the album.

In regards to where it stands in comparison to the bands other albums, I’ve learned to view TGA’s albums for what they are and avoid trying to compare everything that they release to The 59 Sound. Truthfully, I don’t know if any album will ever impact me like that album........it changed my life in a major way! So to look for/expect all of Gaslight’s albums following T59S to do the same is just unrealistic, unfair, and sells their other albums short. Because this band has already influenced my life in such a way with T59S, I don’t see how any other album from them could do so again, not in that way, regardless of how perfect an album they create. No matter how great American Slang and/or Handwritten may be, I’d be unable to compare them objectively to T59S due to the way it has already changed my life, even though those albums may actually be just as great and may impact new fans the exact same way T59S did for me when first exposed to their music.

After some time analyzing Handwritten and the band as a whole, I’ve come to realize how grateful I am to have discovered there music, to be a fan, and aware of their albums! I feel lucky to have 4 albums, an EP, and a solo album that I love equally but differently from this band and can choose which one I want to listen to on any particular day, based on my mood, the setting, etc. That’s what’s great about TGA; they don’t make the same album twice, they keep evolving and improving, yet trying to stay true to their roots no matter how big they get. If thier future albums are in line with Handwritten (or any of their previous albums) I'll for sure be a happy fan!

Another thing I'll say that I don't think is getting enough credit: Whenever the talk is about Brian and this album it's about his lyrical content, not enough is said about the vocal performance. While I prefer the lyrics on 59 Sound, his voice on that album, while great, didn't throw a lot of surprises at us. We basically knew what we were gonna get, reverby sorta-gruff vocals on every song. It worked for that album, but on Handwritten the emotional range his voice shows is insane. Listen to the last chorus of Too Much Blood and Mae and National Anthem and it really is amazing that one singer can do so much.

Having listened to this a couple of hundred times at least now, I feel comfortable saying it is easily the worst thing they've put out. I'm not saying it's bad - on the contrary, it's good, very good even.

But as has been highlighted, there is a lot wrong with it too. if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

A lot of what I like on this album has been influenced by things they've made me love by what's gone before. That sounds more complicated than I want it to.

sportshack wrote:

Having listened to this a couple of hundred times at least now, I feel comfortable saying it is easily the worst thing they've put out. I'm not saying it's bad - on the contrary, it's good, very good even.

But as has been highlighted, there is a lot wrong with it too. if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

A lot of what I like on this album has been influenced by things they've made me love by what's gone before. That sounds more complicated than I want it to.

A couple hundred times? Are you serious!?

sportshack wrote:

Having listened to this a couple of hundred times at least now, I feel comfortable saying it is easily the worst thing they've put out. I'm not saying it's bad - on the contrary, it's good, very good even.

But as has been highlighted, there is a lot wrong with it too. if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

A lot of what I like on this album has been influenced by things they've made me love by what's gone before. That sounds more complicated than I want it to.

You can't really speak for the rest of us when you say "I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases". In my opinion this one of the best albums ever put out that I have heard. It would make sense that if this was the first release of theirs, I would be excited for their next album. I know a majority of people love this album so I don't see how you can say a majority of us wouldn't be near interested in subsequent releases.

saltandburn1967 wrote:

sportshack wrote:

Having listened to this a couple of hundred times at least now, I feel comfortable saying it is easily the worst thing they've put out. I'm not saying it's bad - on the contrary, it's good, very good even.

But as has been highlighted, there is a lot wrong with it too. if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

A lot of what I like on this album has been influenced by things they've made me love by what's gone before. That sounds more complicated than I want it to.

You can't really speak for the rest of us when you say "I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases". In my opinion this one of the best albums ever put out that I have heard. It would make sense that if this was the first release of theirs, I would be excited for their next album. I know a majority of people love this album so I don't see how you can say a majority of us wouldn't be near interested in subsequent releases.

He can speak for all fans, he's spent over 133 hours listening to it.

markbarlow wrote:

saltandburn1967 wrote:

sportshack wrote:

Having listened to this a couple of hundred times at least now, I feel comfortable saying it is easily the worst thing they've put out. I'm not saying it's bad - on the contrary, it's good, very good even.

But as has been highlighted, there is a lot wrong with it too. if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

A lot of what I like on this album has been influenced by things they've made me love by what's gone before. That sounds more complicated than I want it to.

You can't really speak for the rest of us when you say "I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases". In my opinion this one of the best albums ever put out that I have heard. It would make sense that if this was the first release of theirs, I would be excited for their next album. I know a majority of people love this album so I don't see how you can say a majority of us wouldn't be near interested in subsequent releases.

He can speak for all fans, he's spent over 133 hours listening to it.

Haha, he said a COUPLE hundred times. So between 200-400 times probably. I don't even think that is possible..................

Still not decided on where Handwritten sits in my order of the albums as it needs a few more listens. What I did just stumble upon and love immensely is the Great Expectations bonus track, with Brian adding a bit of Warbrain by Alkaline Trio in towards the end. Sounded awesome, 2 of my favourite bands in one song!

Just came back from vacation..

Since none of the versions I ordered arrived on time, I gave the NPR stream a superficial listen while packing my things about 10 days ago.. That's why I decided to rip the stream and put it onto a CD.

Well after the first day I determined to throw the rip away (the quality was just too bad to listen to that all the vacation). So I waited for my physical copy until I came back...don't even know how I managed to wait that long

Gave it a few proper listens right now. Regarding the fact that I don't have the much time I'll only say a few words on the album:

In my opinion the albums really, really good...my album of the year so far. There is not a single really weak song (OK: Sliver isn't a Gaslight song ) on the whole album. Love the way you can feel the passion and the energy that the band has put into that album. The album is defintely good enough to match the earlier Gaslight works.

My favourites: Keepsake, Mae, Blue Dahlia (especially lyrically - there has never been any song growing so much on me)...

Don't know what to think about the partial change of Brian's writing style on the album. I read about some people crying ...well, actually I'm not anywhere near crying eventhough I think most of the lyrics are amazing. Maybe that's because they are in my mother tongue

Just bought Teenage Rebellion on Amazon. Concerning the discussion earlier in this thread, where people said the album wouldn't contain any song that could be played as a radio hit (because of the choice of songs being played one radio) making them really,really famous . I think Teenage Rebelion could be such a radio single if the band would have worked out all its details properly.

A few things:
eagles1139 wrote:

Quote :

Another thing I'll say that I don't think is getting enough credit: Whenever the talk is about Brian and this album it's about his lyrical content, not enough is said about the vocal performance.

Agreed, I love his vocal range on this album.

sportshack wrote:

Quote :

if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

I'm not really sure, but I might agree, although I love the album. I would have to seriously think about that, but I'm not going to. (Because I love the album anyway.)

A few times now I've listened to all the albums & EP straight through in order. Has anyone done this? (it only takes 3 hours, and I'm home a lot). I'd say Handwritten fits perfectly as the next album after AS. There's not really any point, for me, where something seems drastically off or jarring in the context of what comes before or after it (except maybe Red in the Morning which I'm still not in love with) throughout their entire catalog.

subconscious ritual wrote:

Quote :

sportshack wrote:
Quote:
if this was the first thing they put out, I doubt any of us would be anywhere near as interested in subsequent releases.

I'm not really sure, but I might agree, although I love the album. I would have to seriously think about that, but I'm not going to. (Because I love the album anyway.)

I thought about it and changed my mind already. There are too many phenomenal tracks on this album. I'd definitely want to hear more from them, if this was the first album I'd heard.

Klown wrote:

Well, my El Jefe bundle arrived, badly beaten up, and I had to pay an extra £14 to get it from the postman. Not amused.

My vinyl was warped from the heat

saltandburn1967 wrote:

Haha, he said a COUPLE hundred times. So between 200-400 times probably. I don't even think that is possible..................

I always assume couple = 2. As in 2 people, rhyming couplets, things which are coupled/de-coupled etc. May be different in the US but if you tell your mrs you're inviting her cute friend with glasses into the couple, there's gonna be some fists.

Now I want to give my opinion!

Honestly, im a bit disappointed in this album. I definately liked the other albums more after a week listening to them, than I do with this album. Yeah, Handwritten is cool and all that, but its not Gaslight Anthem to me. I miss the sound from The 59 Sound and American Slang. I remember Brian saying the album was going to be a really fast album, but I dont think it is. There is alot of the songs that I think is way to slow. And yeah sure there is some great guitarplaying, and Fallons vocals on this one is outstanding, but, it doesnt matter when it dont fit perfectly with eachother, and creates the same feeling as 59 Sound and AS had. Another thing is, which i dont know is mine or TGA's fault, but I dont think there were new songs that really blew me away. They have already been playing them. Im totally in love with 45, Here Comes my Man and Biloxi Parish. Handwritten and Blue Dahlia got me first time i listened to them, but the other ones.. not so much.

People talked about this being the best Gaslight-album, but it isnt. I miss that special feeling I get when im listening to The '59 Sound, there is something about the vocals and the guitarplaying on that album that makes me feel good in so many ways. And yeah, you see - the vocals and guitar is not as advanced on '59 as it is on Handwritten - but on 59 Sound it just goes perfectly togehter.

Gaslight Anthem, your other albums got me a lot quicker than this one, but I will continue listening to the songs and hope that some songs will grow and get me like every song on 59 Sound did. But if I had picked this album up, without knowing you, I would have forgot everything about it.

gib786 wrote:

Still not decided on where Handwritten sits in my order of the albums as it needs a few more listens. What I did just stumble upon and love immensely is the Great Expectations bonus track, with Brian adding a bit of Warbrain by Alkaline Trio in towards the end. Sounded awesome, 2 of my favourite bands in one song!

\

At this point, it's #3 for me. I still like 59 sound and SoS more, but it's growing on me and may pass SoS eventually. It won't pass 59 sound, though.

Confused...Great Expectations bonus track?

simo wrote:

Confused...Great Expectations bonus track?

I think I saw someone mention earlier the Spotify version has different bonus tracks.

simo wrote:

Confused...Great Expectations bonus track?

Brian sang a verse from Warbrain tagged on towards the end of Great Expectations during the Revival tour last year. So not a bonus track but a live version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMZ-jdPGPBc#t=03m16

Right, yes, I know about that. But the way he said it made it sound like it was on Handwritten somewhere.

I read many people complaining that Handwritten doesn't sound like a Gaslight Anthem album. I think they're always the same, they just have evolved as a band. Tracks like Too Much Blood or Keepsake would never fit into Sink or Swim, but in my opinion they are the highest points of the album. Just listen to "Oh Love" by Green Day: no one would notice if it actually came out of Dookie; as Brian himself sings in 45 "I can't move on but I can't stay the same", the band couldn't just keep on repeating the same songs. I agree that The 59' Sound probably is a better album overall: tracks like Old White Lincoln, Here's Looking at you Kid and Backseat sound raw, but maybe "truer" than Handwritten's ones. However American Slang was a great disappointment to me: not a bad album, but lukewarm, anynomous, like a bad copy of the '59 Sound.
Handwritten IMO was make or break for them; and they made it. Also, I think that, contrary to many opinions I read, it has a potential single hit: Here Comes my Man. With its catchy tune, clever lyrics and Brian lovely face it could easily become an instant favourite.

Two weeks on, I must admit that I have not listend to this as much as I did to Amercian Slang when that came out, although so many of the songs keep going round my head. I just consider it quite a dark album, which is not what I need right now, not only because it is summer.

However, I have just reordered the songs on my Walkman, and relegated some to bonus status, which has changed the feel of the album for me, with a dark and a light side. So my improved track listing for what would have made this a much better release for me is:

1. ''45''
2. Handwritten
3. Here Comes My Man
4. Mulholland Drive
5. Keepsake
6. Too Much Blood
--
7. Biloxi Parish
8. Desire
9. Blue Dahlia
10. Mae
11. Teenage Rebellion

bt:
12. Howl
13. National Anthem