Crowes not so horrible

Perhaps the biggest flaw of The Horrible Crowes’ “Elsie,” the side-project debut of Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon, is that it is not exactly what he wanted it to be — the Tom Waits to Gaslight’s Bruce Springsteen.

Indeed, several of the songs sound only a small step removed from the Gaslight Anthem’s breakout sophomore effort, “The ’59 Sound.”

At the same time, though, that same batch of songs also comprises many of the record’s highlights.

“Go Tell Everybody” is a prime example of this one-step-away-from-Gaslight sound. Crisp drumming and Fallon’s familiar smoky howl, which is in top form in nearly every track, punctuate a tale of anger after betrayal. This would all sound like vintage Gaslight if it were not joined by organ that overtakes the guitar and leads the sonic charge surprisingly well.

Two tracks later, the album hits its high point with the one-two-three punch of “Ladykiller” (the album’s non-Gaslight sound at its most effective), “Crush” (a ’59 Sound clone that builds to a powerful climax) and soulful rocker “Mary Ann.”

Unfortunately, the dull “Cherry Blossoms” precedes the trio and breaks up what would otherwise be a stellar eight-song streak on a record just similar and different enough from Gaslight to perfectly tide over fans until the band’s next album.