THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
HISTORY BOOKS – SHORT STORIES
RICH MAHOGANY RECORDINGS/THIRTY TIGERS
In 2023, The Gaslight Anthem released History Books, their first studio album in over nine years. Not even a year later, the band is releasing some new material. History Books – Short Stories is the latest EP from the band. It features four tracks, a cover of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes”, two acoustic reworkings of songs from the 2023 album History Books (“History Books” and “Positive Charge”), and a reimagined version of their beloved “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts”.
The cover of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” is unmemorable, but at least it is still far from the worst cover ever released. The guitar riffs and solos are very generic. It tries to be an anthemic track but never gets there, as the chorus is quite underwhelming and not nearly as riveting as it could have been. Brian Fallon’s vocals also have very little vulnerability compared to Eilish’s. Plus, the moody atmosphere and haunting sadness of Eilish’s is nowhere to be seen on the cover. Instead, it attempts to be an energetic, upbeat, and catchy pop-punk song but ultimately never fully achieves that.
Acoustic versions of “History Books” and “Positive Charge” are downgrades from the original versions. The stripped-back production usually is too by-the-numbers, though occasionally it is pretty good, and there are some intriguing moments on each track. Brian Fallon’s vocals are superb, and both songs still have that Bruce Springsteen feel that the original versions had especially “History Books”. However, the originals do a much better job creating sing-along choruses and fascinating hooks. Also, the guitar work on these acoustic renditions are quite bland compared to the original versions. The opening guitar squeals of “Positive Charge” and the clunky heartland rock guitar riffs of “History Books” (featuring Bruce Springsteen) rock, and there is nothing that fascinating that replaces them in the acoustic renditions. The acoustic versions are not terrible tracks, but odds are people will choose to listen to the original nine times out of ten.
The new rendition of longtime fan favorite “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” is easily the best track from the record. It might not be as good as the original, but it is a lovely track with some neat guitar work.
Overall, History Books – Short Stories is a forgettable EP. The cover of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” is the weakest track from the record. Eilish’s version is far superior to the cover. Acoustic versions of “History Books” and “Positive Charge” are decent tracks, but nothing is noteworthy about them, and the originals greatly overshadow them. Only the new spin on “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” comes close to equaling the original.
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