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On the subject of story telling, both The Gaslight Anthem’s ‘The 59 Sound’ and The Hold Steady’s ‘Stay Positive’ both succeeded in conjuring up a sense of sweeping Americana. Effectively two different sides of the same coin, the former presented a vivid picture of downbeat New Jersey characters, hedonism and a defiant optimism in the face of adversity. It sounded a bit like Tom Waits getting back on the booze and joining a punk rock band. ‘The 59 Sound’ is like a cross between bubblegum punk thrashes and pre-arena Springsteen and for that, we thank them.

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