The years have taken a toll on Fallon, from the persistent criticism leveled at him by rock purists (who choose to accuse him of plagiarizing the past rather than paying tribute and contributing to rock n' roll's survival) to more personal struggles (TGA's last album, 2014's Get Hurt, chronicled Fallon's divorce). So, at this point, it's entirely fair to say that the hard miles and tattered pasts he sang about in his band's early days only to have those songs dubbed disingenuous by naysayers should now be exempt from such criticism.
In fact, on much of Fallon's first solo record, he's looking to move on from troubles, though he dresses this hopeful outlook in familiar garments. Lead track A Wonderful Life is likely the closest relation to The Gaslight Anthem there is here, albeit one with a lot more hope than fans are used to, punctuated by the titular line "I don't want to survive / I want a wonderful life".
While there are some similarities to be drawn from Fallon's prior work, the biggest difference is in the intensity of the performance. As is typically expected from rockers doing solo records, there is a bit of a tendency for some songs to sound like Gaslight-Lite; most songs here eschew Gaslight's traditional guitar attacks for less abrasive soundtracks. However, where there may be a preconceived notion going in that "lighter = worse", this doesn't necessarily apply to Painkillers. In particular, the use of acoustic guitars on several tracks, such as standout Smoke, provides a warmer vibe than we would have gotten from a full throttle band attack.
When Fallon hits the sweet spot, such as on the heart wrenching current single Nobody Wins, a revelation occurs where the listener realizes just how potent Fallon's songwriting chops are. The music approaches something resembling country, but Fallon's lyrics and delivery elevate it past genre trappings and into esteemed, timeless rock and roll territory. Herein lies Fallon's primary strength; as a tried and true student of the game, he knows how to lift spirits and break hearts with a simple song, and he seeks to speak to listeners in the same language the greats did to him.
It doesn't hurt that Painkillers is guided by producer Butch Walker, who has forged a respectable career as a solo performer and producer after releasing three albums with a band of his own (the criminally underrated Marvelous3) in the late '90s. More than fifteen years removed from his band experience, Walker understands how to approach Fallon's situation. As a result, Painkillers ends up an album that isn't as concerned with forging Fallon an identity as a solo artist as it is with highlighting his considerable worth as a singer/songwriter.
As such, it wouldn't be quite so effective if the songs weren't up to snuff. Longtime fans will have already sussed out that this won't be an issue, and I'm not so sure Fallon has ever written a bad song. In fact, with the arrangements such as they are here, the songs get more room to breathe and are better for it. This is especially true of late album highlight Honey Magnolia, a mournful ballad with a near perfect use of its instruments.
As an album, Painkillers is careful not to get too energetic or too sombre, and there are admittedly a few tracks that lack in overall impact, but it isn't designed to be as immediate as his former band's records. Instead, these twelve songs act as a reintroduction of sorts for those who felt Gaslight was starting to wear a little thin (and, perhaps, for Fallon himself). Dylan, Springsteen and Petty are still the main points of influence here, but perhaps the clearest (and most complimentary) difference I can pick out between Painkillers and The Gaslight Anthem's discography is that now Fallon has finally created an album that sounds less like the classics played through a modern filter and more like the classics themselves.
March 11, 2016 • Island
Highlights A Wonderful Life • Nobody Wins • Honey Magnolia
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