Craig Finn's and The Hold Steady's storytelling opus, and their rock opera. Telling stories of Halleluja Holly, a troubled young (and apparently good looking) teen girl, a pimp named Charlemagne and tackling topics such as religion and drug abuse, Separation Sunday is Craig Finn's most richly metaphorical and deeply complex album, while not without flaws. While the story itself tackles a thousand different topics in smart ways and really details it's characters, the songs themselves aren't always perfectly constructed and the melodies are not always that easy to immerse yourself in. Despite this, "Separation Sunday" is still a great rock n roll styled opera that not only gives us a taste of the immature and drug infested lifestyles of the characters, but provides Finn's smart look at religion and growing older, not to mention some incredibly huge power chords and explosive punk rock feel. "Your Little Hoodrat Friend", "Stevie Nix" and "Banging Camp" are all classic Hold Steady songs, and don't be afraid to drown in rock n roll references and Finn's incredibly detailed scenes and stories.
