Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Positive Reviews

The reviews are starting to come in for The Hold Steady's fourth album, Stay Positive, already out digitally and due in stores next week. The consensus: it's good, really good.

My review is in the new issue of The Providence Phoenix (thanks, Mr. Editor!). Some reputable folks have also weighed in, like the Village Voice, Uncut, Rolling Stone and MTV, among others.

What do you think of the record? Leave us a comment.

2 comments:

-tom said...

Trip will probably berate me about this next time he sees me,
but other than a couple songs that really rise above, I think it's just okay.

Maybe my expectations were set way too high after the masterpiece that was Boys And Girls In America, but this one's a letdown and not really doing it for me as a whole.

Andy Whitman said...

I think it's very good, and a bit of a letdown from "Boys and Girls in America." Some of the experiments work ("Both Crosses"); some don't ("Cutters"). There are formulaic Hold Steady rockers ("Constructive Summer," "Sequestered in Memphis," "Stay Positive"). But it's the best formula extant in current rock 'n roll.

Four, maybe four and a half stars. Definitely one of the best albums of the year.