Lead singer and songwriter Brian Fallon stated in a New York City in-studio session, "All these songs came to me in my head.

The band released the first single from the album, "American Slang", on their Facebook page on March 23, 2010, along with a full track list and cover art.

[4] Uncut magazine (July 2010 issue) gave American Slang a 5-star rating and declared it its 'album of the month'.

Big Cheese magazine (June 2010 issue) also gave the album 5 stars, saying that "The Gaslight Anthem have created the all-American album that travels by keeping its subject matter to that which everyone can relate to: the pain of a broken heart, salvation from the radio and love by the lights of the bar.

The record is a perfect marriage of expert storytelling, superb musicianship and classic melodies."

Classic Rock magazine gave the album 8/10 and declared that "New and old fans alike will be speaking American Slang this summer."

[18] "Rolling Stone" magazine gave the album 3½ stars out of five, saying that "American Slang arrives with serious advance buzz: The choruses are more sculpted, but the band's tough-as-leather rush is as hard as ever, and Fallon howls so hard, he sounds like he's aiming to get a section of the Jersey Turnpike named after him."

"Rolling Stone" named the album's song "The Diamond Church Street Choir" at No.