HOLD STEADY – HEAVEN IS WHENEVER

HOLD STEADY – HEAVEN IS WHENEVER

Heaven is Whenever will be the Hold Steady’s most successful album. Album number five for the Brooklyn boys has everything that Hold Steady does well; done very well. Classic rock power chords, heartfelt ballads and Springsteen-like salvation. Now a four piece (after the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay) the band have returned to the basic bar-room rock n roll that they grew up on; and when they riff, they riff hard, as the excellent twisting, grind of The Smidge demonstrates to maximum effect. Guitarist Tad Kubler fills the space left by Nicolay superbly, taking to the task by muscling his way through the album so well you have the feeling he might have resented having to make space for the keys previously. Keeping his literary roots, Craig Finn takes us on a slightly grizzled and lonely lyrical road-trip here that speaks as much of their touring schedule than anything else, along with his usual tendency to reminisce. The girlfriend/boyfriend from Chips Ahoy reappear here on The Weekenders, but tellingly it is a more downbeat installment – “She said the theme of this party is the industrial age / You came in dressed like a train wreck.” Lets hope he can have a break before he sits down to pen the next set of songs. An adoring public might make that hard.

*** 1/2

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.