The Hold Steady: Stay Positive

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Eric R. Danton wrote in his Hartford Courant blog Sound Check: "Part of what made the Hold Steady's third album so powerful was that at age 35, singer and lyricist Craig Finn clearly was still in touch with what it means to be 17 and trying to make sense of being in love. It felt incredibly real on 'Boys and Girls in America,' but no one stays 17 forever. The Hold Steady's fourth and latest album, 'Stay Positive' (Vagrant), is Finn's stab at capturing what comes next — a coming to terms with the post-scene scene, where life goes on, friends scatter and love is messier and more complicated than seems fair. For all that, though, 'Stay Positive' is an optimistic record that continues Finn's search for a sense of place. His characters here are bound by the communal power of rock 'n' roll, finding redemption in a muscular blend of fist-pumping guitar riffs and propulsive piano. 'We're gonna build something this summer,' Finn promises on the battering-ram opener 'Constructive Summer.' It's a mission statement, but like all mission statements, it's sometimes overlooked in the tumult that follows …" ("CD Review," 7/14/08).