THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 'SINK OR SWIM' LP

vinyl LP. Sink or Swim, the New Jersey-based quartet's debut LP, is the type of record that most young bands wish they could create to launch their musical career. For a group of guys with such diverse backgrounds in styles like folk, blues, metal, hardcore and punk, the overall output is an album rich in melody, hooks and overall well-crafted song arrangements. In the album's opener, Boomboxes and Dictionaries; we get a very bouncy number to kick things off, slightly reminiscent of Against Me!, complete with the standard whoah-oh-oh; backing vocals. Fans of bands like Samiam and Lucero will appreciate tracks like I Coulda Been a Contender; with its slowed-down intro, blasting into the up-tempo choruses, all the while perfectly showcasing singer/guitarist Brian Falon's smokey vocal style.