"First Impressions: The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten (Sampler)"

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the correct place, & since I'm new I can't post the link but thought you'd all be interested in reading this. It's from Jason Tate's blog on absolutepunk:

Quote :

"And did you wanna drive, without a word in-between … I can understand, you need a minute to breathe."

Been meaning to toss up some thoughts on The Gaslight Anthem's Handwritten sampler. I'll usually wait for the full album for things, because I believe that when an artist creates an album - they do so looking at the entire album as its digested as a whole. For me that's an important aspect to when I first hear something: as the artist intended it. However, when it comes to a band like TGA, arguably my favorite band right now ... sometimes a boy's gotta make sacrifices. Thankfully the songs I've heard are in order on the album track listing (as far as we know).

First, gotta preface this with a few things: The sampler that I got is in stream form, and as you know - that means the quality is lower than what you'll hear on the album. I know this for a fact, because I, like most of you, were tuned to the premiere on Zane's radio show for the single premiere. And the quality that came through that was deeper - richer - and better. The quality of the sampler stream is a little pitchy. I sound like an ungrateful douche - but the truth is I wanted to make sure you knew what I was judging the songs from ... and take that into consideration.

So, how do the new songs sound of one of the most anticipated albums of all year?

Like The Gaslight Anthem. Don't worry.

You've heard the single - probably - and you know that they start things off with a more fast paced number. The second track is more mid/59-Sound/tempo, with a stomping beat and Brian's vocals back down in their regular register. The lyrics are exactly what I was hoping for. The production sounds fucking huge. Brian's themes of love/loss/and the night are pretty prominent. And I'm sensing a theme already for where the album is going to go ... a theme I like.

What the sampler provides is a look into what I think the album is going to shape into ... and what I am getting is that it sounds giant. It's diverse in sound -- while still maintaining a very TGA feel. A part of me wants to hold back on saying that it sounds more "mainstream" and "accessible" because I am afraid people will take that the wrong way. But, to some degree, it's just the truth -- it sounds like the kind of album everyone will love. That the die-hard fans will be able to nod along to and see where the band came from to get here ... (the people that want Sink or Swim part 2 - well, they had to know that wasn't happening) ... it carries the weight of The '59 Sound with a bit more of the force of Elsie.

The band (and Brian, in general) has a catalog of such mammoth proportions that I always feel, with each new release, that we're too close to it ... that we're inside of an era of musical creativity and development that can only truly be appreciated with time. That in 10 years we'll look back and actually understand. Appreciate. And grasp what is taking place. However, in the meantime I get an odd feeling that we are seeing something special here.

Thanks for posting this, Kirsty! Jason linked the article in the Handwritten thread (I think), but it'll be buried there in a day or two, so this was the perfect place to post it.

The last line of that article says it all. This is going to be really special.

Ah I didn't really check to see if it had been posted yet, I'll remember to do that next time!

Reading this has made me even more excited for the album (as if that's possible, I'm counting down the days haha!)

He is right. I take "mainstream" and "accessible" to mean "watered down version of the band you love." So I hope the way he put it means something else. Also, I never thought they weren't accessible before so I guess I don't even know what he means.


Also I appreciate starting a thread for this. The Handwritten thread has gotten to be too hard to keep up with and is too much theorizing for me. I am happy to read an opinion from someone who has actually heard it (no offense to those enjoying the guessing games)

79 days to go!

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

I feel the same way! I think some kind of asylum needs to be started for all of us crazy people to go to so we can get some help. How will be possibly last 79/80 more days?! HOW?!

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

I feel the same way! I think some kind of asylum needs to be started for all of us crazy people to go to so we can get some help. How will be possibly last 79/80 more days?! HOW?!

The best thing to do would be to see a special doctor/magician/therapist/hypnotist/wizard to erase from our minds any knowledge of a new Gaslight Anthem album and then go back and have the memories of Handwritten planted back in our heads a week before the album drops. That's all I can think of at the moment

Lobotomies all round

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

I feel the same way! I think some kind of asylum needs to be started for all of us crazy people to go to so we can get some help. How will be possibly last 79/80 more days?! HOW?!

The best thing to do would be to see a special doctor/magician/therapist/hypnotist/wizard to erase from our minds any knowledge of a new Gaslight Anthem album and then go back and have the memories of Handwritten planted back in our heads a week before the album drops. That's all I can think of at the moment

Lobotomies all round

That could work! We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Maybe a lobotomy is a good idea!

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

I feel the same way! I think some kind of asylum needs to be started for all of us crazy people to go to so we can get some help. How will be possibly last 79/80 more days?! HOW?!

The best thing to do would be to see a special doctor/magician/therapist/hypnotist/wizard to erase from our minds any knowledge of a new Gaslight Anthem album and then go back and have the memories of Handwritten planted back in our heads a week before the album drops. That's all I can think of at the moment

Lobotomies all round

That could work! We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Maybe a lobotomy is a good idea!

Haha what time are we setting off? I'll pack my bags

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

I feel the same way! I think some kind of asylum needs to be started for all of us crazy people to go to so we can get some help. How will be possibly last 79/80 more days?! HOW?!

The best thing to do would be to see a special doctor/magician/therapist/hypnotist/wizard to erase from our minds any knowledge of a new Gaslight Anthem album and then go back and have the memories of Handwritten planted back in our heads a week before the album drops. That's all I can think of at the moment

Lobotomies all round

That could work! We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Maybe a lobotomy is a good idea!

Haha what time are we setting off? I'll pack my bags

Maybe either past quarter to three or past the midnight hour. That way maybe we'll get there in time for breakfast. We'll take Mustang Sally.

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

kirstyt wrote:

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

Christophe wrote:

79 days to go!

80 long days for the US. It's not fair that you guys get the record a day before us!

For once, living in the UK is paying off!

Haha, you guys also got the NME press event. You Brits are very lucky these days!

Sometimes it works the other way round though. The Fray released their new album first week of Feb in the US but didn't release it in the UK til first week of March. I seriously wouldn't be able to cope if that happened with Handwritten!

A whole month apart?! That's ridiculous! I think there would be some kind of riot if that happened with Handwritten!

Yep there would be! I would be straight on a plane to New York just so I could get my hands on the album haha

Now that is dedication!

That's how obsessed I've become Shannon

I feel the same way! I think some kind of asylum needs to be started for all of us crazy people to go to so we can get some help. How will be possibly last 79/80 more days?! HOW?!

The best thing to do would be to see a special doctor/magician/therapist/hypnotist/wizard to erase from our minds any knowledge of a new Gaslight Anthem album and then go back and have the memories of Handwritten planted back in our heads a week before the album drops. That's all I can think of at the moment

Lobotomies all round

That could work! We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Maybe a lobotomy is a good idea!

Haha what time are we setting off? I'll pack my bags

Maybe either past quarter to three or past the midnight hour. That way maybe we'll get there in time for breakfast. We'll take Mustang Sally.

Haha sounds like a plan

Hahaha, everytime I read a newish thread about Handwritten, there's a huge string of comments from Shannon and Christophe. You two are gonna drive yourselves beyond insanity waiting for this album!

In other news, that write up about the album makes me super excited, and the last paragraph makes me super happy. We're in for a treat, that's for sure.

stepsandnumbers wrote:

Hahaha, everytime I read a newish thread about Handwritten, there's a huge string of comments from Shannon and Christophe. You two are gonna drive yourselves beyond insanity waiting for this album!

In other news, that write up about the album makes me super excited, and the last paragraph makes me super happy. We're in for a treat, that's for sure.

Tell me about it I'm pretty sure I have gone insane already! And Shannon is a bad influence on me I never used to derail threads with excitement! We should make a new Shannon and Christophe thread so nobody else has to trawl through our overenthusiastic posts haha

Christophe wrote:

stepsandnumbers wrote:

Hahaha, everytime I read a newish thread about Handwritten, there's a huge string of comments from Shannon and Christophe. You two are gonna drive yourselves beyond insanity waiting for this album!

In other news, that write up about the album makes me super excited, and the last paragraph makes me super happy. We're in for a treat, that's for sure.

Tell me about it I'm pretty sure I have gone insane already! And Shannon is a bad influence on me I never used to derail threads with excitement! We should make a new Shannon and Christophe thread so nobody else has to trawl through our overenthusiastic posts haha

Make the thread, Christophe! You know it's only going to get worse in the next couple of months!

Seriously guys, I don't intend to detail threads and I really am sorry! I just can't contain my excitement sometimes!