American Slang
Encyclopedia
American Slang is the third studio album by New Jersey
based rock group The Gaslight Anthem
. It was released on June 15, 2010 on SideOneDummy Records
, which released their previous album, The '59 Sound
. The album was produced by The '59 Sound producer Ted Hutt
.
Lead singer songwriter Brian Fallon said that American Slang will move away from the 1950's inspired sound of The '59 Sound. He began writing for the new album in the summer of 2009 while on tour in support of The '59 Sound.
The band released the first single from the album, "American Slang", on their Facebook
page on March 23, 2010, along with a full tracklist and cover art.
In December 2010, Exclaim!
named American Slang the No. 19 Pop & Rock Album of the year. Exclaim!
writer Ben Conoley said "American Slang is somehow your old man and your best friend all at once."
Big Cheese magazine (June 2010 issue) also gave the album 5 stars, saying that "The Gaslight Anthem have created the all-American album that travels by keeping its subject matter to that which everyone can relate to: the pain of a broken heart, salvation from the radio and love by the lights of the bar. The record is a perfect marriage of expert storytelling, superb musicianship and classic melodies."
Classic Rock magazine gave the album 8/10 and declared that "New and old fans alike will be speaking American Slang this summer."
The album reached the #3 position on the UK midweek album charts during its first week.
The album debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200
, moving 27,000 copies, and was the #1 independent album for that week.
"Rolling Stone" magazine gave the album 3½ stars out of five, saying that "American Slang arrives with serious advance buzz: The choruses are more sculpted, but the band's tough-as-leather rush is as hard as ever, and Fallon howls so hard, he sounds like he's aiming to get a section of the Jersey Turnpike named after him."
"Rolling Stone" named the album's song "The Diamond Church Choir" at #39 on their list of 50 Best Songs Of 2010.
The album currently holds a Metascore of 80% on Metacritic, based on 28 professional reviews.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
based rock group The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon , Alex Rosamilia , Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz...
. It was released on June 15, 2010 on SideOneDummy Records
SideOneDummy Records
SideOneDummy Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label whose roster focuses mostly on punk and related genres. Founded in 1995 by Joe Sib and Bill Armstrong, who continue to run it today, the label has built a reputation for its diverse roster of artists ranging from third wave ska...
, which released their previous album, The '59 Sound
The '59 Sound
The '59 Sound is the second studio album by The Gaslight Anthem, released on August 19, 2008 on SideOneDummy Records.In December 2008, eMusic named The '59 Sound the best album of 2008. NME rated it as the 47th best album of the year...
. The album was produced by The '59 Sound producer Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt is a British music producer, musician, and song writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for Flogging Molly...
.
Writing
Fallon stated in an NYC in-studio session, "All these songs came to me in my head. I didn't sit down at the guitar or piano or write lyrics, they all just were kind of there one day."Lead singer songwriter Brian Fallon said that American Slang will move away from the 1950's inspired sound of The '59 Sound. He began writing for the new album in the summer of 2009 while on tour in support of The '59 Sound.
Recording
The album was recorded and produced at the New York Magic Shop record studio.Release
The album was released on June 15, 2010 on SideOneDummy Records. It is the band's second release for the label.The band released the first single from the album, "American Slang", on their Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page on March 23, 2010, along with a full tracklist and cover art.
Reception
Uncut magazine (July 2010 issue) gave American Slang a 5 star rating and declared it its 'album of the month'. "American Slang delivers spectacularly on all expected fronts. Everything that was great about The '59 Sound is here, but the sound is even bigger, epic without getting blustery." Rock Sound magazine gave the album a 9/10 and also declared it its 'album of the month'.In December 2010, Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
named American Slang the No. 19 Pop & Rock Album of the year. Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
writer Ben Conoley said "American Slang is somehow your old man and your best friend all at once."
Big Cheese magazine (June 2010 issue) also gave the album 5 stars, saying that "The Gaslight Anthem have created the all-American album that travels by keeping its subject matter to that which everyone can relate to: the pain of a broken heart, salvation from the radio and love by the lights of the bar. The record is a perfect marriage of expert storytelling, superb musicianship and classic melodies."
Classic Rock magazine gave the album 8/10 and declared that "New and old fans alike will be speaking American Slang this summer."
The album reached the #3 position on the UK midweek album charts during its first week.
The album debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, moving 27,000 copies, and was the #1 independent album for that week.
"Rolling Stone" magazine gave the album 3½ stars out of five, saying that "American Slang arrives with serious advance buzz: The choruses are more sculpted, but the band's tough-as-leather rush is as hard as ever, and Fallon howls so hard, he sounds like he's aiming to get a section of the Jersey Turnpike named after him."
"Rolling Stone" named the album's song "The Diamond Church Choir" at #39 on their list of 50 Best Songs Of 2010.
The album currently holds a Metascore of 80% on Metacritic, based on 28 professional reviews.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Brian Fallon; all music composed by The Gaslight Anthem.- "American Slang" - 3:41
- "Stay Lucky" - 3:09
- "Bring It On" - 3:27
- "The Diamond Church Street Choir" - 3:12
- "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" - 3:39
- "Orphans" - 3:23
- "Boxer" - 2:47
- "Old Haunts" - 3:30
- "The Spirit of Jazz" - 3:13
- "We Did It When We Were Young" - 4:16
Bonus tracks
- "She Loves You" (iTunes Bonus Track) - 3:45
- "American Slang (Acoustic)" (iTunes Pre-order) - 3:46
Australian Tour Edition Bonus CD
- "American Slang (Acoustic)" - 3:46
- "Boxer (Acoustic)"
- "The Queen Of Lower Chelsea (Acoustic)"
- "Antonia Jane [Lightning Dust Cover]"
- "Tumbling Dice [Rolling Stones Cover]"
- "She Loves You" - 3:45
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
8 |
Credits
- Brian Fallon - lead vocals, guitar
- Alex Rosamilia - guitar, vocals
- Alex Levine - bass, vocals
- Benny Horowitz - drums