Gaslight Anthem
Get Hurt
Reviewed by: Lara Supan
This album is like that guy at the party who has too much to drink and starts bearing his soul about his horrible love life and how much he has nothing left to live for- AKA a little too awkward to be enjoyable.
Gaslight Anthem’s new album was inspired by the lead guitarist’s struggles with his divorce, and it is way too obvious to be comfortable. With song titles like “Underneath the Ground”, “Break Your Heart”, “Have Mercy” and “Sweet Morphine”, you end up wanting to give the band an awkward hug and promptly delete them from your phone. The vocals on the majority of these songs are unsupported and strained, and the levels leave something to be desired as well. Overall, I would chalk this up to an emotional idea that didn’t flush out in the end.
Get Hurt is a great title for this collection of songs- disjunct at best, placed in a volatile order that gives you whiplash from one song to the next. The lyrics can be poignant at times but don’t quite come together to form complete thoughts or stories, which would make sense for the subject matter. Listening to the album from start to finish gives you the overwhelming sense of instability and unraveling that makes you cringe by the time you get to “Mama’s Boy”, “Halloween” and “Have Mercy”. In “Mama’s Boy” there is a Springsteen-esque solo harmonica at the beginning, followed shortly by the lyrics “I must confess, I still cry every morning. Well every night I just take a bunch of these and try to forget you.” By the end of the album the lasting thought is being slightly worried for this guy’s wellbeing through his time of hardship.
If you’re going through rough times you might grab a case of beer, some morphine and really dig into this album. Each song is more raw than the last, and will leave you with a definite feeling of either comradery or sympathy. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is what Gaslight Anthem was going for. Tough luck buddies, we look forward to the more well adjusted “you weren’t good enough for me anyway” album.
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