The Gaslight Anthem – History Books

Way back in the before-times of 2015, New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem went on hiatus, with frontman Brian Fallon doing his own solo thing, only reuniting briefly five years ago just to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The ’59 Sound. But now they’re back in full, with History Books, and it’s everything you remember loving about The Gaslight Anthem.

Indeed, History is very much a Gaslight Anthem record, their earned, authentic, workingman’s emotion channeled through rock, happy or sad, quiet or loud. The Jersey boys have long had comparisons to the state’s one-and-only Bruce Springsteen, something that Fallon has acknowledged before (QRO live review), and something that the band faces head-on by actually recruiting The Boss for the album’s don’t-look-back powerful title track (QRO review). But that kind of emotional power runs throughout Books, from the big “Little Fires” (QRO review) and tragic “I Live In the Room Above Her” to melancholy acceptance of “Autumn” and sweet, world-weary “The Weatherman”. And they even leave the Garden State for “Michigan, 1975”.

Times feel a lot tougher than 2015, and there are some artists we’ve desperately needed back. Thankfully, The Gaslight Anthem return.