<p><span><span>- When you think of punk rock frontmen, songwriting craftsmen seldom come to mind. However, <strong>Brian Fallon</strong>, former lead singer of New Jersey band, <strong>The Gaslight Anthem</strong>, is both of those things. With <em>Local Honey</em>, Fallon’s third solo album, he proves that he is more of the latter and less of the rambunctious punk rocker. A tight set of songs, Local Honey is Fallon’s most homogenous album with each number showcasing acoustic guitars and simple folk melodies. An ardent votary of fellow New Jersey songwriter legend, <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong>, Fallon really sets himself apart from the three-chord set here. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>To kick off the record, Fallon wastes no time pulling at your heartstrings with sweet, even saccharine opener, <em>When You’re Ready</em>, depicting a father lamenting the thought of his daughter growing up. While the song has a chorus melody that is likely to burrow into your brain, it is the lyrics that will doubtless have the most lasting effect, as Fallon croons, “<em>I don’t want you grow up because I don’t want you leave / When you’re ready to choose someone make sure they love you half as much as me</em>”. The sentimentality continues on second track, <em>21 Days</em>, which is saturated with interesting production elements around Fallon’s acoustic guitar, giving it a sound reminiscent of <strong>The National</strong>. While the album feels as though it’s about to ramp up following that number, it does the obverse with third track <em>Vincent</em>. A character-based vignette, Fallon softly croons, “<em>My name is Jolene but I hate that song / I was baptised in a river when I was young</em>.” Despite his penchant for archaic folk music, Fallon’s creations are pop songs at their core. <em>I Don’t Mind (If I’m With You)</em> typifies this juxtaposition well. Building from finger-picked chords, the song is laden with pop-melodies and sentimentality. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Fans of The Gaslight Anthem may be surprised by Fallon’s continuing foray into indie-folk but it has always been what listeners keep coming back for, if you think about it. Due to his earnest approach to lyric writing and astute songcraft, Fallon songs will always evoke strong responses. <em>Local Honey</em> is no exception, welding heartfelt songs with unscrupulous melodies and structures, making the eight-track album the most consistent of his career; it is also quite possibly his best. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Jon Cloumassis.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2514016896/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="http://brianfallon.bandcamp.com/album/local-honey">Local Honey by Brian Fallon</a></iframe><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zw2wNUZFI9o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>