Craig Finn's new album continues to differentiate his solo material from the Hold Steady, but without Tad Kubler's guitar heroics as a buffer, his lyrics can be pretty harrowing.
Craig Finn's spoken vocals are a barrier to entry, but the Hold Steady's first two albums literally contain the beginning of the story. These deluxe editions have enough strong extras to warrant a look.
While the Hold Steady's catalog has consisted of detailed character sketches and scenarios extolling the virtues of indulging the devil whispering in your ear, Teeth Dreams deals with the demons left in the wake.
On his first solo record, the Hold Steady frontman is backed by a more somber bar band, the kind that gets the drunks slow dancing instead of fist pumping.
The Hold Steady's music represents a delightfully perverse amalgamation of the Rolling Stones’ unbridled sexuality, Jack Kerouac’s open-road spirit, and the Replacement’s independent sensibility. No doubt, any of these 10 songs would make a great “gateway drug” for anyone interested in discovering the charms of the group for the first time.
Despite the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay at the beginning of the year, the band still more than lives up to their reputation as a great live act.
Weary of Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas” for the 567th time? Here's an alternate selection of songs to consider spinning during the holiday season.
