It only takes a few seconds for the opening guitar plug and hard-charging drums to set an impressive pace and tone for "Positive Charge", the latest barroom burner from The Gaslight Anthem. And as the band's first new single in nearly a decade, it's a much-welcome return from Brian Fallon and company with the sort of hardened yet heartening music that has defined their catalog.

"Positive Charge" is a full-throated, fist-raising anthem that reflects back on days gone by and longs to celebrate the sand left in whatever hourglass we're given. Lyrically, Fallon masterfully navigates the complexity of middle age so beautifully here with a self-encouragement to "be the spark, be the positive charge" before admitting that he needs the same. Declarations of wanting to live and smile and enjoy what he's given is paired with vulnerable realizations that a lot of life and years are already in the rearview mirror.

Ultimately, the song is buoyant with a hopeful refrain to remain present in the moment and, in so doing, to live our best lives. The aforementioned percussion by Benny Horowitz and the stellar guitar work from Alex Rosamilia carry forward this "Positive Charge" in ways that truly serve the song and its message. The Gaslight Anthem has been crafting this sort of meaningful music for a long time—one of the very few—and the time away has only added strength and substance to the mix.