Review: The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
Popular bar-rock troubadours The Hold Steady begin their latest album, Heaven Is Whenever, on a decidedly different note than usual. Rather than opening with a guitar-heavy rocker, we hear the soft, ballad-esque “Sweet Part Of The City,” a track that hearkens back to the opener of the band’s debut, Almost Killed Me. It sets the tone for the rest of the record, a cyclical (and at times cynical) take on the themes and characters lead singer Craig Finn has written about for the past six years, spanning four discs.
The sound for this new album is something new for the band as well, informed more by film scores than the blatant cribbing from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan heard on previous albums. The increased focus on instrumentals (and loss of keyboardist Franz Nicolay) creates a more intimate and focused sound, as opposed to the largely sprawling sonic experience of Boys & Girls In America and Almost Killed Me. The intimate sound and lyrics hearken back to Separation Sunday, although thematically (and chronologically) the album is a follow-up to 2008’s Stay Positive.
The softer sound and introspection allows for the more rocking numbers, like “Hurricane J” and “Rock Problems,” to stand out against tracks like “We Can Get Together” and debut single “The Weekenders.” The sound as a whole meshes well, creating a cohesive record that has to be listened to all the way through, without skipping around, to fully appreciate.
All in all, this is a fantastic record from a band that seemingly does not know how to release a bad one. It seems like the beginning of something new from one of the best rock bands of the decade, and I’m eager to see where this new trip leads.
The Hold Steady:
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Daniel Pittman lives in Florida and has lots of ideas about the Batman franchise. Follow him on Twitter!Email this Author | All posts by Daniel Pittman
Nice read…thanks for sharing…
I liked the Hold Steady when they were slightly DIFFERENT from Lucero. I’d rather just listen to the first, second and third Lucero records than this