Great Lakes, ‘Black Coffee’ – Free MP3 Download

If the Gaslight Anthem were a hardcore band from Boston with an affinity for cheesy jokes and the Midwest, they'd probably be called Great Lakes.

Like many great bands on the Black Numbers label, Great Lakes are hardcore dudes who've been around the New England circuit once or twice and are ready to try something different. Pete Hoffman's bass tone, ripped straight from a '90s punk or hardcore record, mixes nicely with Alex Heinz's melodic leads and Fat Wreck Chords-devoted riffs. Heinz's gruff howl, which is just a modicum more aggressive than what you might hear on the hairier parts of the aforementioned Gaslight's 'American Slang,' tops off the track, which is about a worldview that keeps you afloat at full speed.

"'Black Coffee' is definitely the headbobber of the record," Heinz tells Diffuser.fm. "We really pulled back the tempo from the breakneck speeds we achieve on other tracks to let Pete's juggernaut of a bass tone do the talking before the whole things comes crashing down in the end. Lyrically, the song holds true to the major themes of 'Live Fast, Die Whenever.' At its core, it's a song about breaking anchor and moving on. Letting go is better than being dragged down any day."