Being a site based in New Jersey, particularly Asbury Park, sometimes you gotta represent…especially when the home team releases new music. The Gaslight Anthem – Jersey born, Jersey bred, Jersey residing (for the most part) – dropped their new single ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’ this week, so we had to cover. The single is being released in anticipation of their new album Get Hurt which drops August 19th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-l4Z23ELd8
Nick Porcaro: I always considered The Gaslight Anthem a remarkably unremarkable band that never deserved the lavish praise bestowed upon them. Unfortunately, the first single from Get Hurt does little to change my viewpoint. None of the hooks hold any weight, the lyrics are occasionally cringe-inducing, I’ve heard riffs like these a million times before, and Brian Fallon’s vocals inhabit an awkward impasse between neat and nasty. The song ends in stellar fashion, though—Fallon finally finds the right register, his voice soaring as he asks “So should I take everything, all the temporary medicine? Should I take your reds, your blues, and your cocaine? Should I take something to try on the weekend?” Too bad the rest of the tune isn’t up to snuff. Verdict: One and done.
Lauren Stern: I think it’s safe to say that aside from our editor-in-chief Bill, I’m one of the biggest Gaslight Anthem fans on staff. I fell in love with them when I first joined the radio station at Rutgers and I’ve been gaga over them ever since. So when I heard they were putting out a new record this summer, I immediately jumped all over it. In fact, I was the person who sent out the link to this song to the Singles Party crew when it released on Tuesday.
That being said, my opinion may be a little biased. Hell, fuck it. I can’t say “one and done” to these guys, even if “Rolling and Tumblin'” was the worst song ever on the planet. But it’s not, it’s everything I expected it would be: a fun, fast-paced, track, so catchy that it’s physically impossible not to push the replay button. For the first time in a long time, I wanted more, which is a feeling that I haven’t experienced since the last really good cliffhanger on LOST.
Granted, I am a little impatient. It’s been two years too long since the last Gaslight Anthem record. But needless to say, “Rollin and Tumblin” is everything I love about Fallon and about Gaslight in general. Now that this song is out, it is going to be really really hard to wait until August 19th. Verdict: Add to Playlist
Lisa Pikaard: I was never a big Gaslight Anthem fan and I still am not now. This song sounds like a bad tribute to 80s hair bands. The vocals are nothing special and the music is weak. If you’re going to sing in a nitty gritty rock way, have the instruments back you up. This song is just lacking. I almost feel as though the band and singer are performing different songs. As much as I would love a new song to rock out to, this is not it. The lyrics don’t tell a poignant story and I am just disappointed. I wish there was something about this track I could compliment and, don’t get me wrong, it’s not awful, it’s just not any good either.
Verdict: One and Done.
Kelly O’Dowd: Wait. I thought The Gaslight Anthem was this emo band. Huh. So going into this song, I was utterly surprised with what I heard. It’s a great rock song in the vein of Bruce and his E Street Band (not solo Bruce). Wait, they are from Jersey? Huh. Well, better Bruce than Jon Bon Jovi. This is a song that needs to be played in a bar while you are drinking with friends. In fact, these guys sound like they are really comfortable playing small places and getting the crowd worked up. I think “Rollin’ and Tumblin'” is a great introduction to this band. I know I’m going to be looking up their back catalogue. Verdict: Add to Playlist
Al Mannarino: I haven’t really listened to The Gaslight Anthem since they released the single “American Slang” in 2010. That was a great song, but I never listened to anything more from them. In all honesty they always seemed like an average band that never stood out amongst the other rockers in their genre. I really didn’t want to like their latest single, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’.” It is just a terrible name for a song. Despite the songs title, I actually enjoyed it. I found it to be fast paced, and incredibly catchy. I listened to it three times in a row, not just to study it more for the review, but just to hear the beat again. I recommend you giving the latest song by Gaslight a chance, even if you don’t like the lyrics. I would put it to your playlist just to have another addition to your summer playlist. Verdict: Add to Playlist
Jason Stives: With the latest from The Gaslight Anthem there is an unfortunate level of expectation present. When they released “45” as a single back in 2012 for Handwritten it was an example of one of those rock songs so potent that you couldn’t help but exclaim “damn that’s a good rock song!” More lead singles from an album should be like that but it’s not always possible even for the New Brunswick quartet. “Rollin and Tumblin” harkens back to The 59 Sound days; full of energy with the added bonus of Brian Fallon’s constantly aging whiskey voice. It lacks the instantaneous approval but it’s furious and screaming for the hills. While it’s not necessarily wetting my taste buds it’s still something that might age well once presented within the albums context. So optimism prevails for the Gaslight Anthem even if it’s not as in your face as one would hope. Verdict: Add to the playlist
Bill Bodkin: As a fan of The Gaslight Anthem, I was not disappointed by the new single ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’, despite it being pretty different from previous singles. It actually reminded me more of their cover of Nirvana’s “Sliver” — grungy, nasty yet still with that inherent Gaslight-ness in it. Benny Horowitz’s drumming is excellent showcased here and creates this extremely bouyant, fat groove. Meanwhile, Bryan Fallon and the rest of the gang really create the ferocity with driving riffs and throaty, intense vocals. Yet, this is still the Gaslight Anthem and when that ever-hopeful quality that Fallon’s voice has, shines through and when that happens, all is truly right in the world. It’s definitely a wonderful addition to their growing treasure trove of singles and I like the fact the band took a different direction with the song and not just sounding like “The Gaslight Anthem.” Verdict: Add to the Playlist
Final Verdict: Our Jersey roots run deep here, so we’re giving a firm “hells yeah” to add the new Gaslight track to your playlist.
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