Although the release of Handwritten, the Gaslight Anthem's major label debut, is still nearly two months away, the band has offered fans an early sneak peek in the form of a two-song 7" that nods to its past, while offering a glimpse at its rapid forward momentum.

"45" is an uptempo rocker with a soaring chorus that would feel much more at home on the group's barn-burning debut Sink or Swim than 2010's commercial breakthrough American Slang. It's vintage Gaslight, if such a term can accurately be applied to a group whose debut came out a mere five years ago. The production is slightly cleaner than we've heard on a Gaslight record before, but it suits the tune perfectly. One listen to "45" will see oneself walking around for the rest of the day singing the chorus of "Ah-hey! Turn the record over! Ah-hey! I'll see you on the flipside!"

Speaking of the flipside, the group presents a cover of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky" on side B here. The Gaslight Anthem's members are no strangers to Petty, namedropping him in 2008's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," as well as covering a couple of his songs ("American Girl" and "Refugee") in recent years. This is the first time, however, that one of their Petty covers gets a full-studio treatment. As with most songs it covers, the band doesn't stray too far from the original, but it does swap the song's dated, very '80s-sounding synths for a two-guitar attack.

Longtime fans worried that the Gaslight Anthem's newfound major label status would have a negative effect on its sound can rest easy. If "45" is any indication, Handwritten will be just as energetic and enjoyable as anything we've heard from the band yet.