The Gaslight Anthem Hit The History Books
Drummer Benny Horowitz shines a light on the New Jersey band’s welcome return
Rugged and resilient, The Gaslight Anthem — founder, lead singer and guitarist Brian Fallon, drummer Benny Horowitz, bassist Alex Levin and lead guitarist Alex Rosamilia — embody the rousing spirit that defines heartland rock ‘n’ roll.
Though they echo the passion and prowess of, say, a Springsteen, Seger, Mellencamp or Petty, they easily lay claim to their own trademark tenacity, all flush with urgency, authority and absolute exhilaration.
The New Jersey-based band made their recorded debut in 2007 with the aptly titled Sink or Swim, an album which endeared them to the critics and set the stage for their sophomore set, The ’59 Sound, which marked their big breakthrough and brought them support status for the likes of Springsteen and Social Distortion along with featured appearances at Lollapalooza, the Glastonbury Festival and London Calling. American Slang, released in 2010, furthered their notoriety. Two more albums followed, Handwritten and Get Hurt, prior to the band going on hiatus in 2015, save some occasional reunions.
Nevertheless, the band has now presumably returned and reunited, courtesy of a spectacular new album titled History Books. It provides a new set of songs that rekindle the anthemic surge of their earlier efforts, flexing the same dynamic delivery that’s been the standard since early on. “Spider Bites” and the title track (featuring Bruce Springsteen on backing vocals) set a tumultuous tone, while “Autumn,” the song that follows, is equally emphatic, but more studied in its insistent approach. “Positive Charge” is as driven and dynamic as its title implies. The lyric is especially telling: “How I missed you, it’s good to be alive.”
Nevertheless, given that History Books is the band’s first new and original album in nine years, one has to marvel at the way the band members were able to rekindle the energy and intensity that spurred them so early on.
“There was certainly a familiarity that I was not expecting, looking up seeing familiar faces in a familiar setting as if not much time at all had passed,” Benny Horowitz remarks. “We also have each kept playing and releasing albums and playing shows in this decade and have individually gained different skills, which stylistically has an impact. In our case it was great, because it was watching your old friends and listening and being like ‘where did that new trick come from?’”
Horowitz also added that the band is now back and completely committed to making music together, albeit “universe permitting.”
“We promised ourselves we’d come back when we had something to say, and that time came,” he muses. “Brian tested himself to write four Gaslight songs, and we agreed to do it, but only full-on — a real band releasing albums and properly doing the thing. So here we are. The plan is to be a full-time rock and roll band making albums and playing shows, along with some exciting collaborations in the near future.”
While Horowitz says they don’t necessarily find that their trajectory fits into any kind of arc, the individual albums each represent a singular moment in time.
“I think you’ll hear on the album an honest insight into getting older, taking it in, but not allowing yourself to be bereft of hope,” he continues. “It’s very much inspired by that reality. The major goal with History Books was to make an album that sounded like us without sounding like any other record we’ve made. We’ve danced around with a lot of styles and sounds in our previous records, which I think allows us to explore without making anyone mad. In that spirit, I think it fits the trajectory well.”
Nevertheless, the surging sound and relentless refrains remain a constant. The absolute intensity and sheer command of a track like “Little Fires,” not to mention the decided deliberation of slower songs such as “The Weatherman” and “I Live in the Room Above Her,” offer further proof of that premise.
VIDEO: The Gaslight Anthem feat. Bruce Springsteen “History Books”
“I think that’s our roots in punk rock and hardcore music,” Horowitz maintains. “We were not a band that had to learn how to play fast, but to the contrast, had to learn how to play slow. Things like giant build ups, pick slides and anthemic sing-along choruses were just par for the course in the worlds we grew up in. I reckon it has always carried over into our sound.”
As far as current tastes are concerned, the music he mentions seems surprisingly eclectic.
“Well, Brian is on a big Ozzy kick,” Horowitz reflects “I’m flush into all the De La Soul re-releases and a great band called Truth Cult. I’ve also been touring with a lot of great artists like Emily Wolfe, Catbite, Jeff Rosenstock, Tigers Jaw, Donovan Woods, Oceanator, and Jonathan Francis.”
Nevertheless, Horowitz said that they reserve their greatest respect and admiration for their fans and followers.
“We truly appreciate that people who dig Gaslight stuck with us all these years,” he said. “They put enough faith and love into us that we can flourish.”
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