The Hold Steady

Back in the day, a young kid named Bruce Springsteen wrote gritty working class anthems and stories from the mean streets of New Jersey. They were big rock songs with more than a hint of soul and NYC punk. Well, that kid went on to become a megastar and started writing different kinds of songs. 30 years later, enter New York’s the Hold Steady — a band that recalls Springsteen’s real (ahem) glory days and injects that sound with a distinctively modern edge. Front-man Craig Finn is the closest thing to a real American working class since the E-Street Band wer still working their way up from Avenue B. If anyone remembers a little band out of Kansas called Paw, who were once heralded as the next great thing in alt-rock, these guys sound a little like that. The whip-smart songs on this sophomore release are punctuated by smart lyrics, raunchy rock, organs, piano and horns, in a way that sounds fresh and current while paying homage to great American songwriters of the past.