​It seems impossible that Sink or Swim, the debut album by The Gaslight Anthem – who are ending a seven-year hiatus this fall with a tour and new music, is fifteen years old today. Part of that is because during a listen this morning, the songs sound as fresh and prescient as ever, but also because it seems impossible the concerns of my life at 17 years old were only 15 years ago. Here’s some quick math: I have lived (just about) half my life (so far!) since Sink or Swim came out. Let’s ignore how it troubles the math that I didn’t receive The Gaslight Anthem via Matt’s older brother via Matt until a year after Sink or Swim’s electric release.
 
For now, let’s just focus on the irony that an album concerned with long drives in classic cars on summer nights now has its learner’s permit.

​“We used to drive all night / all over town”

I am going to try not to overstate it, but, if this isn’t your first tonydegenaropoetrydotcom blog post, you know that’s a fool’s errand for me. I of course will overstate it. Strap in.

Rachel & I are moving home.

I can’t even let that hang as simple a sentence as it is. “Rachel & I are moving home” could mean anything or it could mean nothing. We’ve had so many places: Mississippi, Northern California, Southfield, Livonia, our parents’ houses, my uncle’s house. Columbus, really, is the least of our-places out of all of our places.

We had too short a time at Otterbein and then we both left.

Thank god we came home, not a location but to each other, because we of course came to be miles and miles and miles apart.
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But now we’re going Home. To our families. To our friends. To their children!
In other words: