Sink or Swim LP

Sink or Swim was the debut from the Gaslight Anthem, a band that came together in New Brunswick, New Jersey, around Brian Fallon and put it out on XOXO Records. The heartland-rock-meets-punk formula got sharper on the follow-up, The '59 Sound, but it's all here already, and outlets like Punknews.org and Spin noticed at the time. The Springsteen comparisons started early and never really stopped; Springsteen himself eventually made it literal with a guest spot on 2023's History Books.