The Hold Steady -- Stay Positive

Careful readers will have noted that the "Reading/Listening" link at left indicates the latest soundtrack of my life has been provided by The Hold Steady, specifically their latest album, "Stay Positive." Avid fans of The Hold Steady know that their fourth album isn't due to drop until July 15. But rabid fans of The Hold Steady downloaded it from iTunes last month.

My early review isn't as glowing as I'd have hoped, but I do think it'll grow on me, because just today I noticed I was starting to get sucked in by some of the hooks in the second half of the album. The first three songs rival the greatest work they've done ... I think it's just a matter of time before I warm to the rest of it.

The set kicks off with the anthemic "Constructive Summer," an ode to the glory of accomplishment amid the distractions of ... ah, hell, it's just a great song about drinking and talking and playing rock music really loud and having fun. It also includes one of my favorite lyrical couplets of all time:

Raise a toast to Saint Joe Strummer
I think he might have been our only decent teacher

The second song, "Sequestered in Memphis," is a catchy, piano-driven tune that centers on a mysterious encounter in a bathroom and, I assume, the disappearance of the young woman who was on the business end of said encounter. It'll make for a great sing-along live.

The masterpiece of the album, in my mind, is the third track, "One For the Cutters." I'm still not sure how the name of the song fits with the story, which is a beautiful dissertation on a young college student conflicted by her affinity for the townies in her midst. So many great lyrical twists ("Sophomore accomplice in a turtleneck sweater" springs to mind) illustrate the story as it spills forth in classic Craig Finn fashion.

Highlights from the rest of the album include the title track, "Lord I'm Discouraged" and "Yeah Sapphire," and the rest are all decent as well. But I think the reason I've been slow to embrace the album is that it's completely devoid of references to the characters that populated the first three albums. I wasn't expecting another full-on concept album cataloging the travails of Holly, Charlemagne, Gideon and the rest of the crew, but even "Boys and Girls in America" had "First Night."

Nothing at all about our favorite clever kids and hoodrats on the new album. Still a few Minnesota references, which are always cool, but thematically, this one doesn't have the same hook that the first three albums did. Still, you won't catch me complaining about new Hold Steady music, like this right here.