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The Gaslight Anthem - News
Senor and the Queen EP Review
| 10-11-2008 09:39 | 0 reaction(s) | add reaction | add news |
 It's funny how when you look back at a lot of the legendary punk outfits -- The Clash, The New York Dolls, X -- it's clear that a lot of early punkers didn't set out to make the definitive punk record. They just went into the studio and recorded a rock album, and a rock album recorded by punks -- London Calling, Los Angeles or New York Dolls, for instance -- has a tendency to turn into a punk record of its own accord.
You can't help but get the feeling that The Gaslight Anthem's latest EP was born under similar circumstances. Although the New Jersey outfit (obviously) can't compare to Joe and Mick, John and Exene or David and Johnny, Senor and the Queen is one of those rare rock albums that seems to become a punk speaker-basher because of its very nature, not because of some songwriting gimmick or misguided scene allegiance. In fact, the Anthem seems pretty adroit in avoiding easy tie-ins to any of the umpteen punk subgenres on this EP, instead favoring a four-on-the-floor rock'n'roll approach over a more traditional punk sound. It's the sort of thing that'll fit perfectly alongside similarly minded rocking-punks like The Loved Ones, Automatic 7 or American Steel.
That might be bad news for anyone with a vested interest in Warped Tour-like punk stereotypes, but it proves to be a fertile breeding ground for The Gaslight Anthem. Of course, Senor and the Queen is littered with all the usual allusions to rock's milestones -- Springsteen and Seeger rub elbows with Social D and The Replacements -- but The Gaslight Anthem douses its rock'n'roll heritage with punk-rock gasoline, strikes a match and lets things burn. "Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis," with its stretched-out arena-rock riffs and scruffy, shambling rhythms, is the sort of track you might get if you put The Hold Steady and Avail into a room together. "Say I Won't Recognize" stomps down on the throttle a little harder, but its speedy tempo's the only obvious allusion to the band's punk roots, as melodic, guitar-worshipping arrangements stay true to centrist rock sensibilities. Should The Gaslight Anthem ever achieve the stadium-sized dreams implied by its hearty, soulful sound, "Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts," with its bluesy guitar lead and sleepy tempos, should make a great torch ballad for the close of the night.
Punk's worked to separate itself from rock traditions for generations. It's time we start recognizing the two are, at their heart and soul, inseparable. Mark The Gaslight Anthem up as one of a budding movement of punks ready, willing and more than able to help us draw those connections again. |
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