I’ve stopped cross-posting my music and culture writing from The Arts Desk on here, partly because I’m doing so much of it compared to blog writing these days I’m scared this would turn into one big syndicated feed. I couldn’t resist this one though. I think these guys might just make it. At recent live shows, Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn has taken to describing the band’s current lineup as the best it’s ever been. Boosted to a six-piece by the return of Franz Nicolay on keyboards, the Hold Steady of the band’s latter-day London residencies has been well worth the annual 800-mile round-trip: celebratory; poignant; communal; joyous. Thrashing Thru the Passion takes all of these moods, combines five of the tracks released digitally over the past 18 months with five new ones, and the result is the band’s tightest and most fun album since 2008’s Stay Positive. “Denver Haircut” opens the album with a typically vivid character sketch by Finn, whose cast of misfits and dropouts must surely be getting their own miniseries any day now. “He said you’re catching me at a transitional time,” says our omniscient narrator, as his protagonist shaves his head and connects with more […]
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