Something Like Sound

The Hold Steady are often compared to Bruce Springsteen. Lead singer Craig Finn’s gruff voice, coupled with the pervasive drum patterns and powerful guitar and piano solos, which are common in Hold Steady albums, make this comparison very apt. The band, which has roots in the Twin Cities, even discusses the same sort of American themes which Springsteen made his forte. However, in this regard, The Hold Steady does more than Springsteen ever could. This is particularly apparent in their newest album, Stay Positive.

The album begins with “Constructive Summer,” an upbeat song that undulates between being The Hold Steady’s apparent take on punk music and a classic rock ballad. The former of these seems to be validated in the song’s lyrics, which make references to Iggy Pop and The Clash. The song’s upbeat rhythms and guitar solos make both a good introduction for the rest of the album and a good introduction to The Hold Steady’s overall style.

The second track, “Sequestered in Memphis,” deserves being the album’s single. Although, musically, key elements of The Hold’s Steady’s music pervades the song, lyrically, the impact of band influences John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats and poet Jim Carroll becomes clear. It tells the story of a man who appears to have had some sort of affair with a fugitive. It tells this story from the point of view of the man being interviewed by a lawyer at trial. Not only does it tell the story very well in only two verses, it also demonstrates the man’s frustrated feelings at being interviewed. The second verse ends, “Well look, what the hell, I’ll tell my story again,” which perfectly explains how the man – and many people in his situation – feel.

The whole album is full of these sorts of interesting and well-told stories. However, it’s not simply a lyric-heavy album, full of verbose and abstract sentiments. Anyone who’s a fan of classic rock will certainly be satisfied by Hold Steady’s music. Some of the songs also have more modern sounds. “Navy Sheets,” for example, contains guitar riffs which could very well have been written by Radiohead. The album also contains beautifully orchestrated ballads, such as “Lord, I’m Discouraged,” which has empathy-producing piano segments and “Slapped Actress,” which ends with efficacious use of a small choir. Other highlights include “Stay Positive” and “Magazines.”

The only problem which presents itself in the album is that many of the songs are very similar. In order to easily differentiate between songs on the album, a more than casual listen must be undertaken. Aside from that, the album is fun and upbeat and it contains extremely pertinent selections of wisdom addressing the difficulties of life along with well-crafted ironies related to life. The album is many things, depending on the mood of the listener. Sometimes it’s simply a good, upbeat set of music. Other times, it feels didactic. Sometimes, it is even darkly humorous. And occasionally, it is all of these, and more, presenting an excellent and diverse album.