| | Full Review | Ratings (242) |
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| 5.0 classic | NeutralThunder12 | March 27th 12 |
Glimmering with sharp hooks, soaring melodies, explosive choruses and impeccably detailed storytelling, The Hold Steady create their magnum opus, and a collective example of everything they do well perfected. Before Boys and Girls, Finn's storytelling was still goddamn brilliant, but the hooks, melodies and compositions weren't always there to leave a lasting impression. With this album, Finn's incredible detail surrounding fictional rock n roll lifestyles of the dense characters he's created is perfectly complimented by enormous vocal melodies and gripping choruses. The songs feel better constructed then ever before and the stories, while not as ridiculously deep or as cinematic as those on almost rock opera "Separation Sunday" still recreates the rock n roll type lifestyle in a smart, rich way. Finn sings of girls being able to predict horse races (it's smarter and better done that it sounds), things going from bad to worse and getting busted by cops (and holy shit are those lyrics done incredibly well), characters from albums past catching up, getting high drunk fucked up and everything associated with that. The best part about it is that it's all done so eloquently, and with incredibly catchy melodies to back it up. "Citrus", "Hot Soft Light", "Southtown Girls" and "Chips Ahoy" are all incredibly infectious, "Stuck Between Stations" is an incredibly rockin' opener, and "First Night" is a gorgeous ballad, possibly the best the band has done. Rock n' roll played the perfect way.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | ThunderNeutral21 | April 19th 12 |
hipster n' roll best album ever jam this instead of animal collective you faggots
Bump |
| 5.0 classic | Andrew Walker | May 7th 11 |
The party songs that don't really work well at parties. The Hold Steady show that they're the best at showing that they can have a good time, and sing talk pretty damn well. No, this isn't "Party Rock Anthem" (in many ways), but listening to this just makes you want to go do something crazy. Hell, these guys could make my most straight-edge friends want to smoke pot and hang around with crazy girls. Just go out and have fun, it really doesn't matter where you wind up, as long as you have the stories of that crazy-awesome night, everything will be perfectly fine. We had some massive nights (a-wah-oooh, oh-oh) every song was right (a-wah-oooh, oh-oh). It's true, every song was right. When they made this album, Craig Finn and crew knew what the fuck they were up to.
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| 4.5 superb | llama1600 | April 18th 07 |
This borders on classic, lyrically solid and musically - well, if Zeppelin got a piano and took on a spoken-wordish feel - that's almost close. Amazing rock music, songs of depression, drugs, and life in America. Paints an American portrait not seen since the Beat Generation. Absolutely wonderful.
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| 3.5 great | Mojito | February 8th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | mnstrmr | February 1st 13 |
| 2.5 average | urzadek | December 17th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Point1 | October 6th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | cjo | September 3rd 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Thef | August 22nd 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | nwagner | April 18th 12 |
| 3.0 good | Maniac | April 13th 12 |
| 3.5 great | C.F. | March 26th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | Beauers | February 27th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | February 14th 12 |
| 1.5 very poor | Dotcommy | February 12th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | browais | January 3rd 12 |
| 4.5 superb | discoe | January 2nd 12 |
| 1.0 awful | porch | November 21st 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | divoz | October 3rd 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | jubilee | September 1st 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Yozzy | June 25th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jumaos | June 24th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | rabbit | June 18th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jack | May 18th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ronen | May 5th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | mvood | May 5th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | BroFro | April 14th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | Zorg | January 23rd 11 |
| 3.5 great | WLuke | January 11th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Zeus18 | October 18th 10 |
| 3.5 great | seifer | October 8th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | occer | September 20th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Leyland | September 18th 10 |
| 1.0 awful | Claudio | September 15th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | idk | September 11th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | James | August 15th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | becdar | July 19th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Brad52 | June 22nd 10 |
| 5.0 classic | csholm | June 15th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | jonreed | April 30th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Gogol | March 25th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | danwar | February 16th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | TheDMV | February 11th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | BigHans | October 21st 09 |
| 3.5 great | JoRos | August 8th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | JPNDRD | July 10th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | mvdu | June 3rd 09 |
| 3.5 great | mdma | April 14th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | rgc19 | April 7th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ethan | April 5th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Kiran EMERITUS | November 28th 08 |
| 5.0 classic | dukes | October 24th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | tom79 | October 18th 08 |
| 3.5 great | f2f | October 5th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | Garito | August 20th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | bpkybe | October 10th 07 |
| 3.5 great | Mapple | August 12th 07 |
| 4.5 superb | JAD | June 14th 07 |
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