Not Bad For New Jersey

Brian Fallon — 2026

“Brian Fallon has always written songs built for big feelings. On Not Bad For New Jersey, he finally gives them the full arena-rock treatment.”

Brian Fallon has spent close to three decades building on one of rock’s great blue-collar voices. From The Gaslight Anthem to his solo work, his songs are typically delivered with heart-on-the-sleeve intensity and underdog grit. Not Bad For New Jersey sounds bigger and plays like a lost mid-’80s FM-radio classic, specifically channeling the rock of John Waite or Reckless-era Bryan Adams. Or, for a name from this decade, picture the shinier pop side of Bleachers. That shift is best captured on “Love at the End of the World,” particularly the great moment when guest Brandon Flowers’ soaring harmony brings everything together. Then there is the arena-ready guitar solo from Def Leppard’s Phil Collen on “Somewhere You Shouldn’t Be.” Fans hoping for Fallon to return to the acoustic, vulnerable intimacy of his last solo outing, Local Honey (2020), might find producer Butch Walker’s heavy, glossy production choices slightly jarring at first. But the record ultimately bursts with familiar energy, making this the most fun and energized chapter of Fallon’s solo career.