The Hold Steady

Boys and Girls in America

Vagrant Records Released January 15^th

There’s been a murmur of this band going around for quite sometime now and although they’ve released material in the states on small labels “Boys and Girls in America” is the first UK release to date. The album was recorded in the summer with help from producer John Angello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr etc) and the Brooklyn based boys stayed close to home for the 30 day process.

Now, you can say that The Hold Steady may share a feather to the likes of the Counting Crows or Bruce Springsteen musically, but its one that gets quickly blown away by the hype surrounding “Boys and Girls in America”. Referred to as a modern day “Born to Run” by Springsteen the HS’s third album but debut UK release is one worthy of such hype. They aren’t your usual looking rock n roll band by a long shot, and their boozy tales of teenage lust, drugs, working class undertones and waking up in chill out tents makes this at first squeaky clean looking and sounding album, something to really appreciate.

Album’s opener “Stuck Between Stations” is an ode to poet and suicide victim John Berryman with a chorus of “she was a really good dancer but she wasn’t that great of a girlfriend” you know this album isn’t going to be short of a story or two. Single “Chips Ahoy” is another great sounding tune but it’s the lyrics that really stand out as this is tale of girl that can tell “which horse is gonna finish first” and as a result needs not sign on but simply get wasted week in week out with her winnings.

“First Night” puts the breaks on after the energetic “Same Kooks” and is one of the only tunes on the album where Craig Finn actually sings as for the majority of the album Finn appears to take more of a narrator’s role.  “Party Pit” telling tales of a girl Finn new at school that ends up a prostitute, and although “You Can Make Him Like You” sounds like a harmless rock n roll tune genius lyrics “You don’t have to deal with the dealers, let your boyfriend deal with dealers, it only gets inconvenient when you wanna get high alone”, keeps the theme of getting high and having a good time that runs through the album alive and well. “All powered up on some new other drug” opening lyrics to “Massive Nights” doesn’t really leave much to the imagination as to what this song is about but all the same it’s a well written account of getting wrecked with your mates.

“Chill Out Tent” is without doubt one of the best stories on the album that tells a tail of two people who independently OD and come around in the chill out tent and end up “getting to know” each other whilst the rest of the festival goers pass around them. The beautifully structured “Southtown Girls” closes the lid on an album that will bring The Hold Steady into magazines and British life with a bang. Musically this is good album but lyrically it’s amazing.

by Neil
 
http://www.theholdsteady.com/

www.boysandgirlsinamerica.com <http://www.boysandgirlsinamerica.com/>
Podcast: Singer Craig Finn talking about his fav records including The Descendants, The Replacements, Bad Brains
- http://theholdsteady.com/HOLD_STEADY_PODCAST_01.mp3

Ecard
- http://vagrant.com/theholdsteadyuk/mainuk.html

UK DATES:
 
Feb 13th Manchester Night & Day (Club Fandango)
Feb 14th Glasgow Cathouse
Feb 15th Hoxton Bar And Grill SOLD OUT
Feb 16th Club NME @ Camden Koko
Feb 17th London Borderline
Feb 18th London Borderline