The Hold Steady Album: “Boys and Girls in America”

Here's the deal: Craig Finn doesn't sing like most rock frontmen. That's the Mason-Dixon Line of the people who listen to The Hold steady. You love him or hate him. He is nasily, somewhat monotone, and rants more than harmonizes. On the other hand, he is a brilliant story-teller, clever phrase turner, and uses references as diverse as The Beastie Boys.

I personally love him, but I understand that he is not everyone's cup of chai. The music is reminiscent of early Bruce Springsteen or Joe Jackson and of course The Band. Standouts are "Chips Ahoy" and "You can make Him like You." Try it. You might like it.

Being an Eastsider a stone's throw from Sweet Payne Ave., I am once again thrilled to know solidarity with a (at one time local) band that makes room for a lot of life in their music--not just romantic idealism and not just defeatist nihilism--they tend to capture pieces of life's dialectic nature, which is nice, nice: Hope/Despair, Progress/Setback, Connection/Isolation--life that always ends in death, but death that has at least lost its sting. The Hold Steady continue to be who they are, you may or may not like them, but it is hard to judge or dismiss something this unapologetically unique. The more you demand likeability from music the less you'll probably like The Holdsteady--not because they aren't likeable, but because you'd be missing the point. This album is good alone and better when put in its narrative context (following Almost Killed Me and Sep. Sunday). I was pleased to get an update on the messed up teenage lives of Holly et al. And was especially glad to hear something resembling a ballad or two (First Night, Citrus, Arms and Hearts), Crucifixion Cruise got me wanting more of that. If you're not into or can't meet the demands of the recorded poetic/talk lyrics of an Ivy League grad, then I beseech you to see The Hold Steady in concert--I've been three times and can testify that what might be lacking in a snapshot recording is made up in the storytelling energy of the moment--stories are meant to be told not recorded after all.

As a 30 something listener who heard about Separation Sunday from NPR, this new album reminds me that I am probably not representative of The Hold Steady's audience. Boys and Girls is musically every bit as distinguished as the previous two efforts. Indeed the musicianship and production values are arguably better.

The lyrics here, though, are not as complex as Separation Sunday's or as inspired as Almost Killed Me's. They also come accross as much more targeted to kids in need of role models. Of course, this aim was plainly apparent from the earlier CDs. And I have often argued that one of the great things about The Hold Steady is that they display an uncommon conscientiousness about their particular role as entertainers.

But now that I listen to Boys and Girls, particularly "Chillout Tent", "You Can Make Him Like You", and "Southtown Girls" I feel like its gone a little too far. I much prefer the subtlety and ambiguity of Finn's lyrics on the first two discs.

The first two CDs are very good but Boys and Girls is excellent because for the first time the band really flexs its musical muscles as it were. It all comes together in a series of fantastic songs that build in force and virtuosity. Rolling Stone called the Hold Steady the best bar band in America so go see them!So what if Craig Finn sounds like Warren Zevon or Bruce Springsteen ( a little), it works for me. Just see if 'First Night' doesn't give you chills.

Kind of like Nick Cave, Bruce Springsteen, Ted Leo, and Elvis Costello all mushed up together? This band brings a fresh sound, kind of like americana stadium rock. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on this album. People talk about the lyrics a lot, and song lyrics are all well and good, but they rock so loud and the lead kind of mumbles a lot so if the lyrics are so important shouldn't you expect to understand them? Now that I think of it, it's a lot like Widespread Panic. Anyways it is good, but I wouldn't say great because there isn't much original about the music. Springsteen, Warren Zevon and Delbert McClinton do it better.

All of the songs are far too rushed as well, The Hold Steady takes songs that could easily be eight minutes and packs them into three or four. Crunching ZZ Top guitar solos and The Band Hammond B-3 solos into ten seconds seems counter productive. Even on "First Night" the piano is not powerful enough, and the pedal steel is very weak; somtimes you can sort of hear strings in the background.

A fun listen, but it's not impressionable and leaves much to be desired.