Stay Positive : The Hold Steady : Review : Rolling Stone

Right now, no band displays the ranting soul, haunted heart or diseased liver of the American rock myth with more truth and empathy than the Hold Steady. The Brooklyn band's fourth set — their most adventurous yet — shows their loser-outlaw storytelling and classic riff propulsion in full flower. It's a punk-weaned, 21st-century version of The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle.

Per the title, Stay Positive is remarkably optimistic. Of course, the Hold Steady's optimism is usually stoned and unreliable. "We're gonna build something this summer!" Craig Finn hollers on the jet-engine opener, "Constructive Summer." But when the mob-chorus shouts, "Get hammered!" it's clear the season may not be so constructive after all. By "Sequestered in Memphis," the singer is in trouble with the law; the specter of cops, fights and bad craziness continues throughout.

The music is more rousing than ever; the power chords and hair-metal wanks spiked with singalong chants and new instrumental flavors: harpsichord ("One for the Cutters"), Frampton Comes Alive!-style talk box ("Joke About Jamaica"), even psych-folk jamming ("Both Crosses," with J Mascis on banjo). The small-time hustlers, hoodrats and druggies feel high-school-yearbook true, and the band's idols might be yours too: They invoke Springsteen and Iggy Pop, and credit "Saint Joe Strummer" as "our only decent teacher." Tellingly, Stay Positive ends with a shout-out to another punk hero: indie film pioneer John Cassavetes, who blurred fictional and real-life trauma in brilliantly raw art until hard living killed him. May Finn and company take his inspiration in moderation.

WILL HERMES

(Posted: Jul 10, 2008)

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Give us your review of Stay Positive

Review 1 of 4

5of 5 Stars

If this is the wild the innocent and the E street shuffle guess what comes next.

Jul 28, 2008 04:27:20

Review 2 of 4

Not Rated

Why is this band so well-regarded? Their songs and overall sound are as background boring as Matchbox 20. With so many great bands out there, it bums me out when bands like this get so much attention...

Jul 19, 2008 16:40:08

Review 3 of 4

3of 5 Stars

The singer has a wonderful snarky, indie quality on the more experimental, and slower, tracks. On the rockers he just sounds lethargic. It would be great if he could kick it up a notch on the harder tracks. Instead he just sounds like he's holding his head after a bender throughout. Maybe next time they can plan on recording all the uptempo tracks on a single day and he could come in sober just once. Otherwise I found it musically creative and engaging. The vocals keep it from being a four-star album in my opinion.

Jul 17, 2008 16:41:18

Review 4 of 4

3of 5 Stars

Boys and Girls in America was like classic after classic (all drinking songs of course). The new album is not nearly as fun, maybe The Hold Stesdy should drink more? Is that Possible? A few good songs, notably Constructive Summer...I forsee this CD heading back to the used CD bins in droves after a couple of months.

Jul 16, 2008 19:44:50

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