Why Not Jason Anderson?

Lucas Jensen | January 22, 2009 4:00 am

I’m on some kind of Springsteen kick today, so I figured I’d keep the train rolling and talk about Jason Anderson. In a world where The Hold Steady are pretty huge and The Gaslight Anthem are up-and-comers, it seems unfair to me that the former Wolf Colonel/Mount Eerie/Yume Bitsu member is overlooked. Can’t the world support more earnest, anthemic rock acts like this?

Anderson’s solo shows are almost impossibly earnest, but it’s pretty clear that the guy believes in the communal power of rock and roll, as dippy as that might sound. They seem to be house show affairs, with no mics, amps, or stage. Anderson just stands there on the floor, with kids around him singing along, and, okay, it brings a tear to this hard-hearted cynic’s eye. At this point, I think of the Hold Steady as a reliable brand more than anything else, and the Gaslight Anthem is pretty good, though there’s a bit of hokum that I can’t quite shake. Anderson’s a true believer, and just spending a few minutes with the guy should wash away any cynicism.

Two recent Anderson records, Tonight and The Hopeful and the Unafraid, try to capture that live show vibe and they mostly succeed. They were recorded off the cuff, and drums, guitars, and most everything were tracked together to give it the “band playing together” vibe. And, yeah, it sounds a lot like Springsteen. I don’t think that Anderson would run from that, and in this era of overproduced material from The Boss, it’s nice to hear something as immediate and unadorned as “Tonight” (dig the sax!) or the epic “El Paso”. Downloads below!

Jason Anderson – El Paso [MP3] Jason Anderson – Watch Your Step [MP3] Jason Anderson – Tonight [MP3] Jason Anderson [Official site]