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If you pay attention to this sort of thing, you've probably heard that the new Hold Steady record, Stay Positive, sucks. I may have even been the one to tell you that, after one or two spins, but after spending some quality time with it I've changed my tune like Kid Rock with a ProTools rig.
The Hold Steady may be "America's best bar band," and leader Craig Finn is the guy you want to be trading stories with at the end of the bar. A modern-day bard for the disaffected youth and guilt-ridden victims of Catholic ideology, Finn has adapted his song-speak style and brilliant lyrical turn-of-phrase to his band's straightforward, go-get-'em song structures. Take Finn out of the equation and you have a perfectly passable, hooky, American rock and roll band. Add him to the mix and you turn the Hold Steady from a fun one-night stand into one of Finn's own complicated characters - tortured but hopeful, crass but sincere, desperate but still funny as hell.
Finn's weight-bearing mastery of being the wisest everyman you'll ever meet is what makes Stay Positive a logical, even tactical, follow-up to the their critically-lauded 2006 effort, Boys and Girls in America. First pass at Positive may leave one wondering where the "Massive Nights"-style hooks are, but they're deceptively prominent throughout the album's 14 tracks. "Sequestered in Memphis" combines a crafty, barroom-shaking piano hook with some of Finn's most wacky, smartass lyrics, including the awesome "We didn't go to her place, we went to some place where she cat sits/She said I know I look tired, but everything's fried here in Memphis."
The title track's gang-vocal chorus is certainly not original (it actually sounds a lot like Randy Newman's "I Love L.A."), but it's a solid dose of fist-pumping energy at the midpoint of the album. Part of its appeal is that it leads into the shit-kicking rock of "Magazines," a typical Finn narrative about a wayward young girl that gets a dose of grit and swagger from gravel-voiced Lucero frontman Ben Nichols.
Here's the bottom line on Stay Positive: This is not the best record of the year, and it's probably not even the best record the Hold Steady has made, but it fills a void in the often-insipid independent music world: intelligent rock music that's both accessible and challenging. And damn, that's more important than you may think.
MP3: The Hold Steady "Sequestered in Memphis"
The Hold Steady plays the Pitchfork Music Festival on Saturday, July 19.
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it may not be their best ever but the new tracks still tear up the stage when you hear 'em live
Most entertaining live rock band around right now. They should be headlining over Animal Collective on Saturday night.
Anybody else think they're super overrated? A friend and I walked out of their show.
meh
Hold Steady should save it. I usually like talk-singy rock, but I just don't get this band's popularity.
i don't get them either. i can't remember a single HS song...
I cant STAND this band. Worst live show ever. I walked out of their show, too. I dont know where Im going to hide when theyre playing at Pitchfork.
bleh. I really don't like this band.
What is wrong with you all? The Hold Steady is the only reason I'm even going to Pitchfork. They are the best live rock band around right now, and all of their records, including Stay Positive, are excellent.
And regardless of your opinion on them, what is with everyone saying they're "too popular" ? I barely know anyone who's into them. No one can get past the vocals because they're not willing to take the time to listen.
What is the matter with the people here, especially those that have seen the Hold Steady live? Instead of just saying they suck why not offer up someone else you think does a better job?
I usually like talk-singy rock, but I just don't get this band's popularity.
I'm exactly the opposite - I usually hate the pseudo-singers, but Finn's lyrics rise far above any initial annoyance I had. Plus he's actually sung on most of the last couple albums rather than just rambled.
The Hold Steady may not be immediately accessible to the average listener due to Finn's vocals, but if you give them time and a few listens (as Lizz's review states) they will grow on you.
Finn's lyrics/singing tend to get all the press, but the band is really tight and Tad Kubler can really wail on the guitar.
These guys are putting out straight ahead, classic rock inspired music that very few are doing nowadays.
Check ‘em out, it is worth the effort.
This band def. grew on me as well. I have had nothing but fun at their shows and experience pure enjoyment with their high energy performances.
Also, choosing to dislike things b/c they are too popular is the same as choosing to like things b/c they are popular. . .how about making decisions on what you actually like and dislike and give up caring what other people think. Being an individual is not specifically liking obscure bands, its choosing a selection and wide variety of things you like without taking other people perceptions into account.
I actually somewhat liked the band UNTIL I saw them live.