Review Summary: I ain't lived a single day without you.
It really is a shame that Fallon never decided to pursue a second album with The Horrible Crowes because Elsie has held up as the second greatest album he’s ever penned across his collective body of work. Elsie not only distinguishes itself from The Gaslight Anthem with its nuanced poignancy, but it also established Fallon as one of the best songwriters of his generation while effectively distancing himself from the ever-growing pack of Springsteen disciples. Virtually nothing from any preceding album from The Gaslight Anthem indicated that Fallon had songs like “Sugar,” “Blood Loss,” or “Black Betty & the Moon” in his arsenal. There are crunchier guitars (“Behold the Hurricane”), surly vocal performances (“Mary Ann”) and nice piano and organ work (“Last Rites,” “I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together” and “Go Tell Everybody”). The calling card for The Horrible Crowes’ lone album is its organic variety.
Fallon’s approach on this record is more restrained and thoughtful. He still brings the energy at times with cuts like “Crush,” “Behold the Hurricane” and “Go Tell Everybody,” but instead of putting on the youthful endearment you would expect from The Gaslight Anthem it’s a more mature template. It’s by no means an indication that Fallon is pulling any punches. If anything, he’s throwing even heavier emotional punches than ever before. The halfway point of “Blood Loss” is a legitimate haymaker, explosive in its demanding sonic intensity and visceral in the venom seething through its words. The gravelly croaks towards the end of “Cherry Blossoms” can cut to the bone.
In retrospect, you can’t help but applaud Brian Fallon’s moxie for deciding to briefly pivot from The Gaslight Anthem in the middle of their rise as a band in order to create a separate outlet for his personal songwriting. Despite its pensive solemnity, Elsie flexes a refreshing breath of personality and finesse into Fallon’s work that will leave you with one of the most underrated gems of the 2010s.
