Hold Steady – Boys And Girls In America
After pitting punk rock against Catholicism on last year’s gritty concept album Separation Sunday, the Hold Steady explores a proposition straight out of Kerouac on its latest, the notion that “Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together.”
The quote comes from Sal Paradise, the narrator of On The Road, and it’s the basis for the Brooklyn band’s most cohesive album yet. Boys And Girls In America is epic and intimate, sweepingly general and startlingly personal. Singer Craig Finn digs into his own life for truths that prove universal: It’s impossible to re-create the feeling of that first night, human beings are fickle, and sometimes being 17 makes more sense when you’re 35. Finn actually sings on this record, after talk-ranting his way through the previous two, and his lyrics are incisive with healthy doses of heart and wit. The music evokes early Springsteen, with huge guitar riffs, sensitive piano passages, and anthemic vocal choruses that practically beg for crowd participation in sweaty, joyous rock ‘n’ roll revival-style live settings.
What really separates this album from the Hold Steady’s earlier efforts, though, is how much it sounds like five guys simply rocking out for the love of music and the sake of camaraderie. The band has said that writing these songs was a highly collaborative process, and it shows in every ear-catching hook and super-tight musical break.