Album Reviews

Leading with the title track, Brian Fallon is off to a strong start on his fifth solo album, Not Bad For New Jersey. Lingering comfortably between Tom Petty and The Wallflowers, the opener finds Fallon reflecting on his life and celebrating his Jersey roots.

There’s plenty of vintage '80s rock DNA woven throughout the record. The intro to “Better Before” brings to mind Bryan Adams’ “Run To You,” one of Fallon’s admitted touchstones for the project. “The Big Sleep” has '80s written all over it, while it's more subtle in other songs, but the album reads like a love letter to the decade. Most importantly, it’s the right kind of classic rock nostalgia—not coated in neon synth-pop sheen. Along the way, Fallon also brings out an eclectic crew of collaborators to sharpen the edges. Produced by Butch Walker, the album features guest spots from Def Leppard’s Phil Collen on “Somewhere You Shouldn’t Be” and avant-garde guitar icon Marc Ribot on the bluesy “Wolf By The River,” while folk luminary Lori McKenna lends her touch to the fragile, stripped-back “On Good Terms.” Just listening to the record, you can tell Fallon had an absolute blast making this album.

Not Bad For New Jersey shines brightest when balancing cinematic storytelling with raw emotion. "Pearls" is a deeply introspective track that starts off reminiscent of The Gaslight Anthem's "Here's Lookin' At You, Kid," dripping with equal parts warmth and melancholy. "Nobody Likes You In NYC" acts as a moving serenade to Dee Dee Ramone, written from the perspective of his ex-wife Vera Boldis, and wouldn't feel out of place on a Gaslight record either. Meanwhile, "Love At The End Of The World" delivers a delicate, Brandon Flowers-assisted folk ballad about finding love while on the brink of the apocalypse, and "Fading On Me" unleashes a raucous, full-throttle rocker that practically begs for a Bruce Springsteen comparison.

Whether Fallon goes full throttle or opts for acoustic restraint, Not Bad For New Jersey is fueled by the earnest heartland rock and blue-collar romanticism that has always defined his best work. It’s packed with stories of bruised dreamers—the ones who don't always get the girl, but aren't afraid to crash and burn trying.

This is indeed not bad for New Jersey. Or Staten Island, for that matter. And to paraphrase Leonard Cohen, Fallon could easily take Manhattan, Berlin, and the rest of the world along with it.

Not Bad For New Jersey track listing:

1. Not Bad for New Jersey
2. Better Before
3. Pearls 
4. The Big Sleep (feat. Donovan Woods)
5. On Good Terms (feat. Lori McKenna)
6. Nobody Likes You in NYC
7. Love at the End of the World (feat. Brandon Flowers)
8. Somewhere You Shouldn’t Be (feat. Phil Collen)
9. Fading on Me
10. Walkin’ Through the Garden
11. Wolf by the River (feat. Marc Ribot)