The Gaslight Anthem

Straightforward and heartfelt, a step further from the punk edges and closer to something more classic and roots-driven. Fallon leans into his own words a bit more here, more personal and less like a mixtape of his record collection, and it mostly pays off even if it loses a little of the wide eyed charm that made the last one hit so hard. The title track and Boxer both carry that easy anthemic pull the band does so well, big choruses that feel earned rather than manufactured. Doesn't quite reach the heights of what came before it, but there's still real heart running through it. Solid, sincere, just a little in the shadow of its predecessor.