Not Bad For New Jersey feels like a latter day Springsteen record. I don’t just mean how it sounds, although that part should be obvious. Brian Fallon has always worn his influences on his sleeve, with The Boss being by far the most prominent among them. It should come as no surprise then that this record’s highlights feel like they would have slotted comfortably among the track lists for The Rising or Wrecking Ball in some other reality. Musically they share a lot of DNA, but they also share a vibe that is a smidge harder to pin down.

Do you remember what it was like when you discovered a legendary band or artist for the first time? You’d check out all the classic albums, naturally – but then there’d also be one late career record that you can’t help but have a soft spot for. Maybe it was the first one you heard before you worked backwards to the classics. Perhaps it was the first new album release you were around for after becoming a fan, or the one they happened to be touring when you finally got the chance to see them live. It feels like every iconic act with a big discography has a record or two like this to their name. One that’s able to rekindle a spark of the glory days. One that both reminds old fans why they fell in love with the music, and pulls new fans down into the rabbit hole. It may still have tracks where they feel past their prime, reusing the same old ideas, but there’ll be a few moments that make you go “hell yeah, they’ve still got it!” and that’ll be enough.

Something about this new record exudes that kind of energy. Perhaps in part due to it following after The Gaslight Anthem’s lacklustre return with 2023’s History Books. A record somewhat lacking in energy and polish, struggling to hit the highs of earlier records. There’s some of that fare present in this latest solo record too. ‘Nobody Likes You in NYC’ feels rather cliché and by-the-numbers, while ‘Pearl’s oyster metaphor struggles to nail the landing (and some parts of the chorus sound a tad dodgy to British ears). ‘Wolf by the River’ could have done with a bit more bite to it, and while Brian’s foray into darker Nick Cave territory on ‘Walkin’ Through the Garden’ is an interesting tangent, it’s not a style he’s able to yet wear comfortably.

Yet nestled alongside the blanks are a few live rounds with some real oomph to them. The title track certainly kicks the record off with a bang. Explosive drum work, bright buoyant guitar, anthemic chorus, joyously melodic backing vocals, the works. Album highlights ‘Better Before’ and ‘The Big Sleep’ have a dreamy expansive feel to their arrangements, and hooks that feel so effortlessly infectious and memorable, up there with some of his best work. I like to think that the spirit of collaboration, in the form of this album’s guests, played a role in reinvigorating Brian’s creative spark. Adding greater depth and new dimensions to the songwriting. Def Leppard’s Phil Collen brings the house down with an incendiary solo on ‘Somewhere You Shouldn’t Be’, and Lori Mckenna’s backing vocals across ‘On Good Terms’ left me wanting more, wishing the song was a full blown duet. Yet the match made in heaven that I never knew I needed lies on ‘Love at the End of the World’, where Brian pairs up with Killers frontman Brandon Flowers for a gorgeous Americana ballad, all about savouring every moment of the connections we form in this life.

Though this latest solo record from Brian Fallon has its faults – only occasionally does it have the fire of The Gaslight Anthem’s best, and it struggles to recapture the warmth and heart of his stunning 2020 effort Local Honey – but there are enough flashes of brilliance present within to draw my attention and earn my affection. It may not be New Jersey’s finest, but I think calling it simply “not bad” is selling it short.