The Hold Steady: Boys And Girls In America

Artist: The Hold Steady
Release: Boys And Girls In America
Label: Vagrant
Rating: +3.1

“There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right. Boys and Girls in America have such a sad time together.�

And with this reference to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Craig Finn begins yet another venture in the world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll that The Hold Steady inhabits. A world that, when described by Finn’s barked vocals, sounds as harsh as unyielding as the world around us, but still leaves us feeling hope of redemption, or at least that there’s a light at the end of tunnel.

But before looking at this latest release, let’s establish a couple of things. First of all:

THE HOLD STEADY ARE NOT THE “SAVIORS OF ROCK AND ROLL�.

I say this not out of hatred, but out of love. See, when reviewers all seize a tag line for a band, usually in a sycophantic orgy revolving around a worship of some well thought of, and probably well intentioned older reviewer, only bad things happen. The argument becomes not about whether the band is good or not, but whether they’re the second coming of rock, which begs the question of whether rock even needs a second coming. And the arguments that spring up around this statement no longer have anything to do with the music, but about the statement made about the music. Which is just a waste of everyones time. So before we continue with my opinion of the new album, let’s review the facts, dropping the “Saviors Of Rockâ€? moniker, and centering in on the “That’s some damn good shitâ€? factor.

As the vocalist for Twin Cities rock band Lifter Puller, Finn and company released two LP’S between 1994 and 2000 before disbanding: Half Dead And Dynamite, and Fiestas and Fiascos. Though not as “Classic Rockifiedâ€? as the current Hold Steady material, Finn still delivered stories like nobody’s business, and with his blend of shady characters and shadier locals for them to inhabit, both albums still deliver just as much punch as the current Hold Steady material. And the fact that both have fallen out of print at current date is a pain I hope the current popularity of The Hold Steady can cure.

Fast forward to 2003 when Finn, now a resident of New York, decided to start another project, pulling in ex-Lifter Puller bassist Tad Kublar. He decided to revive the stories, but with a bit of a different background. Inspired by the classic rock sound of Thin Lizzy, and AC/DC , Finn and Kublar decided to… Well, quite simply, rock the fuck out.

And thus The Hold Steady was born.

Along with Kublar on Lead Guitar, Finn was joined by Galen Polivka on bass and Judd Counsell on drums. Their first release, “Almost Killed Me,â€? was a fresh new look at Finn’s lyrical stylings, and continued in the strong tradition of story telling that he had established with Lifter Puller. Now with new characters, born with religion, but raised with addiction.

Continuing with their story, their second album, “Separation Sunday� was an amazing follow up, adding Franz Nicolay on keys, and replacing Counsell with Bobby Drake on drums. The characters, Holly, Charlemagne, Gideon, and our enigmatic protagonist/narrator once again emerge where Almost Killed me left off. In Ybor city, ready for another go. And go they do, with their best album to date. The keys layer up the songs beautifully, and the band is even tighter then their previous record.

Finn also places some nuggets throughout for the fans of the first album, for example in “Don’t Let Me Explodeâ€? with the line, “He asked what happened to Charlemagne, she just smiled all polite like, and said something vagueâ€?— a reference to “Killer Partiesâ€? (the last track on AKM). If you get it, you just nod, with that tiny little schmarmy grin on your face. And have a little high five moment with yourself in your mind for getting the reference. All these things contributed to making SS one of the best albums of 2005.

So why the rewind? Why this trip down memory lane? Well if you’re just getting interested in The Hold Steady, this stuff is gold, as it tells you there are 4 other albums you should check out.

And if you’ve been into them for a while, and are bored with the little sojourn we just took, well then I’ll be happy to get to the point.

See, the thing is, if I had to pick a single off either “Almost Killed Meâ€? or “Separation Sundayâ€?, I’d be hard pressed to do so. On both of these, Finn set out to make a concept album, and did exactly that. The albums as a whole are amazing, and that’s how they work for me, as albums. Could you show someone a single chapter of your favorite book, and expect them to get how amazing it is?

But with “Boys And Girls In America”, he set out specifically not to make a concept record. And succeeded in exactly that. Though it is loosely based around that line from “On The Roadâ€?, I’d look at this album as more a series of short stories. And while the songs are still great, such as “Chips Ahoy”— which is about a guy with a clairvoyant girlfriend who can predict the outcome of horse races, or “Stuck Between Stations”— which as Finn says “is about the poet John Berryman, and he had a lot of issues with love and had affairs, depression,â€? it loses some of the… well… flavor, if you will, that some of us have come to attach to The Hold Steady.

See, it’s not that Finn’s lyrics are always amazing, he defiantly has lyrics I’d almost consider laughable out of context. But in the context of the wider world he’s painting for you, it doesn’t even qualify as a distraction. However, in viewing the songs as singles, I occasionally run into issues, as with “Chillout Tent”, which for me is one of the weaker tracks on Boys And Girls In America, Sporting such lines as “

But let’s hit the bottom line here, is it worth getting? Absolutely. That +3.1 rating ain’t for old times sake, On “Chips Ahoyâ€?, “Stuck Between Stationsâ€?, “First Nightâ€?, and “Southtown Girlsâ€?, The boys are in as fine a form as ever, and if anything seem to be enjoying themselves even more that Separation Sunday. And hey, if what you’re looking for in the album is a series of catchy songs, well this’ll be just your cup of tea. And in the end might be more so then either of their previous records.

But if you loved either of their first records for the same reasons I’ve mentioned, then the chances are this won’t be The Hold Steady album that takes and becomes your favorite resident of your ipod or cd player. Maybe more a place holder until the next album. A strong outing by a great band, but by no means their magnum opus.

JJ_0