http://www.punknews.org/review/7921
"Here's the thing: I get it. I understand that the band conjures up the
same kind of energy and affinity for '50s rock 'n' roll culture that
Bruce Springsteen did in his heydey. I understand that. But I have
issues with this album. If you strip away the image, the styling, the
cultural references and overlays, you're left with basic mid-tempo
four-chord boring modern punk music. Now, it's understandable that Born to Run's
Spector-ish production might be a little intimidating. There are a lot
of bells on it. But Max Weinberg didn't play the same drum pattern for
every song, 15 to 20 beats a minute difference in tempo. And Bruce
didn't let Stevie Van Zandt play the same crappy guitar parts over and
over. And Bruce built his songs on basic chord progressions. It's hard
to say this (maybe it isn't), but Gaslight Anthem is just another
gimmick band. Replace the tattoos and Chuck Taylors and white Lincolns
with Balkan music and you've got Gogol Bordello. Replace it with Irish
instrumentation and you've got Flogging Molly. These bands are all just
flavors of the week. Now I think these kids may be onto something, but
we've got to be honest here: It's unimaginative, repetitive, and
derivative. And hey, if we're all shouting "It's just like Bruce
Springsteen" as a selling point, why don't we just go back and listen
to Bruce Springsteen. The man has at least six albums worth of solid
material. There's no need for a half-assed tribute if we've got the
original at our fingertips."
Subject: Punknews.org's end of year lists 
Sat Jan 03, 2009 8:17 am
