The Gaslight AnthemThe Gaslight Anthem blend catchy alternative rock with a charming blues influence so well that, most of the time, it's very hard to fault. So well in fact that anyone listening to Brian Fallon and co would be hard pressed to not smile and sing along. From the simple yet catchy instrumentation - that's brimming with character - to Fallon's swagger filled voice, and drummer Benny Horowitz's simple, yet tight time keeping: they really have an insanely loveable sound. However, that kind of quality of sound is rarely found on 'The B-Sides'.
'The B-Sides', which brings to light old recordings from between 2008 and 2011, is a rather disappointing release from a band with a stellar track record. Most of the tracks on 'The B-Sides' are live acoustic tracks that have been recorded for radio/online station sessions. These tracks include most of the band's biggest songs, such as 'The 59' Sound', 'American Slang', and the always awesome 'Great Expectations'. While these songs had so much charm on the original albums, they now seem devoid of life. Yes, these songs are the acoustic versions so you never expect that much, but they just never deliver. The only song that works in the acoustic format is 'Queen of Lower Chelsea'. Everything else becomes easy to skip over and lacklustre after only the first few listens.
When bands put out EPs or albums filled with b-sides and previously unreleased tracks, you rarely get anything to write home about. And that's exactly what happens here. After all, this is called 'The B-Sides', so don't expect anything as memorable as any of the band's previous work, like 'The 59' Sound' or 'American Slang'.
She Loves You
