B+ |
| The
hold Steady Immediately, it's much poppier than last year's masterpiece Separation Sunday. Boys and Girls in America, The Hold Steady's Vagrant Records debut may not be as strong as either of their first two releases, but those records are not easy to follow up. With a bigger sound, and bigger production, the band no longer sounds like just a bar band, but the songs also just don't hit with the same level of impact, and Craig Finn lyrics aren't nearly as memorable as on previous records. standout tracks: "Chips Ahoy" and "Citrus" |