The Hold Steady is through and through a completely uncool band. They don't write the songs that make the whole world sing simply due to the fact that they are one of the most polarizing bands that I have ever come across. Either the soaring riffs and jangly piano keys really get your motor going or they make you want to jump naked into the middle of Lake Minnetonka. Vocalist and songwriter Craig Finn either strikes you as an earnest wordsmith attempting to communicate honest feelings of loneliness laced with drunken debauchery or he's a nostalgia-crazed washed up thirty-something who smokes (or smoked) way, way too much pot.
Regardless of your personal opinion of Finn and his Hold Steady crew, it's always worth a shot to see what the critics are talking about. Sometimes it's something really special. This, I'm convinced, is the case with the Hold Steady. Despite some harsh words pointed in their direction ('They're pretentious!' 'Their vocalist sounds like Kermit the Frog!' 'How could anyone survive drinking that much beer?!' 'Crucify him!,' etc.) it fascinates me that this band has garnered so much positive attention. As a new fan, I bought their new record 'Boys and Girls in America' on the strength of a glowing Pitchfork Media review. Upon first listen, I really didn't know what to do with the thing. Is there a place for a bunch of older (or oldish) guys writing bar-friendly guitar licks the size of skyscrapers about high schoolers popping pills and making out in detox tent bedsheets? I guess there is, but if you had asked me that on October 1st, I probably would have said no.
The Hold Steady caught their break with 'Separation Sunday,' the critically adored predecessor to the staggering 'Boys and Girls in America.' A loosely conceptual album based around three characters named Charlemagne (no relation to the Carolingian monarch), Gideon and Holly. The characters make an appearance in the 'Boys and Girls...' ballad 'First Night.' 'Separation Sunday' is certainly a record of the highest order, a truly fantastic rock and roll album, but I'd really rather focus on the new record for our purposes here. I would admonish you to buy the new Hold Steady record. Please buy it (but if you want two extra bonus tracks, buy it on iTunes).
'Boys and Girls in America,' out now on Vagrant, is a record full of shameless alcohol consumption and loose morality on the part of young kids 'crushing one another with collosal expectations,' as Finn sings on the opener, 'Stuck Between Stations.' While that may be less than appealing subject matter (or incredibly appealing subject matter) for some listeners, the depressive element of the songs is far outweighed by their charm. I went to private school and grew up in a conservative Christian home. As thus, I didn't have the same high school experience as the guys in the Hold Steady. I never had a 'pipe made from a Pringles can.' But these songs have managed to induce nothing less than a loving, relational feeling. I sit down with the characters, I hear them cry for joy and in pain, I commune with them. I know it may sound strange to enjoy a record from an experiential standpoint, but 'Boys and Girls...' is a record that doesn't work like other records. They aren't going to blow you away with musicianship, but the Hold Steady is going to blow you away with intelligent songcraft.
Then again, this band might not blow you away at all. Like I said, they're almost unreasonably polarizing. But it never hurts to try. If you're anything like me, you'll love the journey and eat up every word.
The Hold Steady Links:
The Hold Steady presents 'Boys and Girls in America' - Album Stream
The Hold Steady Interactive Video Community
The Hold Steady Personal Blog
The Hold Steady 'Your Little Hoodrat Friend' Music Video
The Hold Steady 'The Swish' Music Video
