The Horrible Crowes: Elsie (2011)

The Gaslight Anthem are probably my favorite band to come along in the last 5 years or so finding out that lead singer and the bands creative force, Brian Fallon, was working with the bands guitar tech, Ian Perkins, on a side project of more low key music was an exciting thing. The resulting band, The Horrible Crowes, and their debut album, Elsie is not a disappointment but it's not a radical departure from Gaslight either.

The slow burn atmospheric build up of the opening "Last Rites" and "Sugar" are excellent ways for Fallon to stretch out and show a softer side that is only hinted at in Gaslight. This side pops up throughout the album in "Cherry Blossoms," "Black Betty & the Moon," and "I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together." and puts Fallon's voice and lyrics about love and loss front and center in a very effective manner. Anthemic heartfelt rock is still Fallon's trademark and the best songs on Elsie could easily fit on a Gaslight album with only minor changes. The stunning "Behold the Hurricane" and "Ladykiller" are the highlights of the album while the jangle pop of "Crush" and the organ driven "I Witnessed a Crime" right behind. Fallon also takes the music into heavy rock on a couple tracks with varying degrees of success. "Go Tell Everybody" works very well with it's mix of organ and loud guitar but the ham fisted "Mary Ann" comes off as forced and is easily the weakest track on the album.

Ultimately, Elsie is a good album that fans of Gaslight Anthem will certainly want to pick up. It's not a radical departure from Fallon's previous work and the best moments are the ones that come closest to what he's already done. As an side project of experimental work it's not a rousing success but as a glimpse into Fallon's musical abilities and influences it's a more than worthy placeholder until the next Gaslight Anthem album arrives.

Grade: B

Track Listing:
1. "Last Rites" (1:27)
2. "Sugar" (4:53)
3. "Behold the Hurricane" (4:04)
4. "I Witnessed a Crime" (3:05)
5. "Go Tell Everybody" (4:17)
6. "Cherry Blossoms" (4:07)
7. "Ladykiller" (4:24)
8. "Crush" (3:19)
9. "Mary Ann" (3:35)
10. "Black Betty & the Moon" (3:01)
11. "Blood Loss" (4:04)
12. "I Believe Jesus Brought Us Together" (5:37)