The Hold SteadyBoys and Girls in America
Vagrant, 2006
I've been wrestling with Boys and Girls in America for a little over a week now, hemming and hawing over what has shaped up to be the most problematic and divisive album of 2006. I loved The Hold Steady's last album, Separation Sunday. I listened to it every day for a month last summer, and it was one of my unexpected favorites of '05. Now, I hate to be a disgruntled fan whining about how "the band's changed, man," but comparing the two albums does a lot to elucidate what's right and wrong about Boys and Girls in America.
Separation Sunday was exhilarating in its ambition - a rare modern example of a band just going for it. The band rocked with calculated force - deploying every trick in the rock'n'roll book. The fact that they weren't afraid to dredge up rock cliches (like the big pause after the bridge before the heavy riff kicks back in) was refreshing, and added swagger and machismo to Craig Finn's spoken-word lyrics. Finn, for his part, was all over the place - telling tales of shady characters like Gideon, Charlamagne, and Holly the Hoodrat that were peppered with pop culture references, biblical allusions, clever word play, alluring pretensions, and bad jokes. He spit all of it out so fast and with such gusto that it was a giddy pleasure to try to keep up with him. He also positioned himself ambiguously amongst his characters, implying that he was there but never taking an explicit point of view. This gave his tales credibility - he was talking about shallow, messed-up people from among their ranks. He was talking about assholes that got too messed up on drugs while he took another hit. He was the King of the Tools - that guy at a party that would intimidate you even as he pissed you off. You knew there was something hypocritical about him, but you couldn't think fast enough to call him out on it, so you had to respect him. This persona may not have been charming, but it was extremely compelling.
And so, in comparison, the new record is both an advance and a retreat. Finn actually sings on this one (which has made him every critic's new boss), and it turns out the dude can actually write a catchy melody. The band is tighter than ever, and when all the pieces fall together it's a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Plus, Finn's still referencing Minneapolis like it's required in his contract, and it is unassailably cool to hear my hometown being painted into a rock'n'roll myth. I will never get tired of that.
But then there are the lyrics and the theme of the album. The lyrics themselves are more reserved, lacking the lucidity and cleverness of Separation Sunday. But more important to the album's fate is its subject matter and point of view. The purpose of the album seems to be to take Finn's sharp observational eye to the suburbs and scope out the scene out there, turning the excess of youth into keen meta-party anthems. This is a great idea, and sometimes it works, but occasionally the point of view gets too distant. Whereas it was easy to picture Finn as a degenerate Minneapolis partier, I know very well that he is neither a boy nor a girl in America. When his observations turn into criticisms (as in the obviously derisive "Chillout Tent"), the album loses its compelling point of view and becomes didactic and self-important.
But when Finn plays it straight, the results can be massively successful. Opener "Stuck Between Stations" mixes literary references (however shallow), broad sweeping statements, and Minneapophilia to approach the lyrical density of Separation Sunday. Musically, it's their Born to Runniest, mixing epic piano with crunching electric guitars as Finn lays out his thesis statement:
There are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right
Boys and girls in America, they have such a sad time together.
Suckin’ off each other at the demonstrations, makin’ sure their makeup’s straight
Crushin’ one another with colossal expectations, dependin’ on discipline, sleepin’ late.
Boys and girls in America, they have such a sad time together.
Suckin’ off each other at the demonstrations, makin’ sure their makeup’s straight
Crushin’ one another with colossal expectations, dependin’ on discipline, sleepin’ late.
"Stuck Between Stations" works because of its ambition and scope, but other tracks work simply because of their sheer silliness. "Massive Nights" is a rollicking party tune with a sing-along chorus worthy of its title. "Party Pit" is perhaps the best encapsulation of all the merits and inconsistencies of the album. Half way through the song Finn ominously intones "She got pinned down / And I'm pretty sure we kissed...." He then repeats the line "I'm pretty sure we kissed" over melodramatic ascending piano chords that are soon joined by a screaming electric guitar. The hyper-tension builds and builds, and then suddenly the band just kicks back into the laid-back chorus with Finn casually repeating "Gonna walk around and drink some more" over and over and over. End of song. You could call it "over-indulgence" or "everything that's wrong with The Hold Steady," but it's actually laugh-out-loud funny. I'm not sure whether it's supposed to be or not, and I don't really care. It's hugely entertaining either way.
"Citrus," on the other hand, offers a totally new direction for the Hold Steady - the acoustic ballad. And it largely works. Some of the lyrics are a bit overwrought ("I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere"), but think back to The Replacements. Were Paul Westerberg's acoustic ballads subtle and nuanced? Certainly not. They were just as rough and tumble as the rest of their material, which was what made them so damn charming.
Closer "Southtown Girls" has Finn and Co. swinging for the fences - delivering their catchiest chorus by a country mile. If you don't want to have the melody rattling around your head for hours, you'd best be skipping this one. The song blurs the line between indie and classic rock radio even further. Maybe it's just the sound of a band becoming more versatile. Or maybe it's something more sinister - the bait they use to lure the audience that they seem intent on ridiculing. Cindy Hotpoint of the blog The Rich Girls are Weeping refers to "the band's active hostility toward their target audience" in her review of the album. This is a tension that I have always found intriguing, in a punk rock sort of way, but on songs like "Chillout Tent" and "You Can Make Him Like You" it just starts to feel mean (and not all that interesting).
So...once you have sifted through the contradictions and complexities, is Boys and Girls in America something you are going to want to listen to? Well, I suppose that depends. Are you the kind of person who says "this is stupid" and turns it off? Or are you the kind of person that says "this is stupid" and turns it up?
Rating: Sweet and a Half (7.5)
"Citrus," on the other hand, offers a totally new direction for the Hold Steady - the acoustic ballad. And it largely works. Some of the lyrics are a bit overwrought ("I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere"), but think back to The Replacements. Were Paul Westerberg's acoustic ballads subtle and nuanced? Certainly not. They were just as rough and tumble as the rest of their material, which was what made them so damn charming.
Closer "Southtown Girls" has Finn and Co. swinging for the fences - delivering their catchiest chorus by a country mile. If you don't want to have the melody rattling around your head for hours, you'd best be skipping this one. The song blurs the line between indie and classic rock radio even further. Maybe it's just the sound of a band becoming more versatile. Or maybe it's something more sinister - the bait they use to lure the audience that they seem intent on ridiculing. Cindy Hotpoint of the blog The Rich Girls are Weeping refers to "the band's active hostility toward their target audience" in her review of the album. This is a tension that I have always found intriguing, in a punk rock sort of way, but on songs like "Chillout Tent" and "You Can Make Him Like You" it just starts to feel mean (and not all that interesting).
So...once you have sifted through the contradictions and complexities, is Boys and Girls in America something you are going to want to listen to? Well, I suppose that depends. Are you the kind of person who says "this is stupid" and turns it off? Or are you the kind of person that says "this is stupid" and turns it up?
Rating: Sweet and a Half (7.5)
8 comments:
I am undoubtedly the kind of person, to Mary's chagrin, who says turn it up. I'm pretty amazed at how much I agree with every point of your review, Ryan (I think this album is to Indie Rock what System of a Down is to heavy metal). I do have a couple points I'd like to add.
I don't know how much the Hold Steady are making fun of their target audience - because I don't think the kind of people he's making fun of would take the time to listen to music that doesn't take itself too seriously - and its about time a band that has talent doesn't take itself too seriously.
The spirit of The Hold Steady, as I see it, was better stated on Separation Sunday ("It seems like the heavy stuff isn't at its heaviest, when it reaches suburban Minneapolis"), but the "music as a necesary way for kids to validate and escape the uncontrolabilty of their lives" theme is still present on this album.
For example, on Citrus (side note: the Judas line is totally lame, I hate it when a song is great and then the chorus bites.) the "I see Jesus in the kisses of young and awkward lovers - I see jesus in the kisses of honest, nervous lovers" trasends the mocked, "chill-out tent" crowd into very human characters.
Furthermore, as much as I liked Seperation Sunday, it always seemed to overwrought for beery, bar music. The Catholic themes, in particular, seemed way too forced.
I think in the end, these albums shouldn't be pitted against eachother. Boys and Girls in America just takes the Seperation Sunday idea and goes in a different musical direction with it.
i agree in that it is swell to hear allusions to mpls (never gets old) but you are right in that sometimes it sounds kind of forced.
otherwise, boys and girls succeeds for me because it was hard for me to take separation's talk-singing (for some reason, it reminded me of cake). but yeah, he does paint a pretty vivid lyrical picture and whips out some suprisingly catchy melodies. solid review. better than the platonizing pitchfork one.
great show this weekend by the way
cheers,
sean
After a few days of careful thought, I've managed to distill my thoughts even further. Regarding BIGIA, these songs will not get scratched in to my soul. Or is that too clever?
Cindy - I haven't heard that song before, but I still got the metaphor (I know some people who've switched places before).
Billy,
I (usually) say turn it up as well. Once in awhile I'm not quite in the mood.
And I guess the overwrought Catholic themes were actually one of the things I liked about Seperation Sunday. For me, the fact that it sounded like Finn was occasionally trying too hard just fit the "King Tool" persona so well.
But I think you're right. These two albums are very different, and should be viewed individually. I guess I was just trying to say that some of the things that Seperation Sunday had going for it didn't carry over to BAGIA, and some of BAGIA's strengths are things that cannot be found on Seperation Sunday.
In the end, I hope the review came across as a recomendation, as well as a warning that this is not exactly a 9.4 (ahem).
Still, yes, absolutely - it's great to hear a band refusing to take rock too seriously.
Hey Sean - thanks for checking out the blog. It seems we have similar taste!
I never really connected the Hold Steady with Cake - the attitudes/personas of the bands are just so different. But of course I can see how the speak-singing would connect them. Still, there were other sing-speakers before Cake, like Mark E. Smith from The Fall...and...I dunno...the genre of rap, I guess. Can anyone think of any others in rock music?
Anyway, it was great to see you this weekend. We should take the gals out on a double-date sometime.
Cheers,
Ryan
yeah - definately not a 9.4 - I can't believe pitchfork put that album as the best of the year
As a bona fide lover of The Boss- and a lot of other “bad” music- I was surprised that I had such a knee-jerk reaction to BAGIA. As I thought about it more, though, I realized what pissed me off so much about the album: instead of the earnest, energetic, albeit somewhat lame Sprinsgteen sound, BAGIA comes off as blatantly insecure and affected. I call it the "Adaptation" problem; a great concept becomes destroyed by its constant screaming of “look how clever and ironic I’m being!” (Too bad The Hold Steady can't just blame Nick Cage too...) I applaud The Hold Steady’s efforts to steer indie music in a more “genuine” direction, but these aging scenesters have hardly succeeded. The only image BAGIA brings to mind is that of the infuriatingly self-conscious hipster, totally preoccupied with his or her image as an ironic (haughty) know-it-all (dipshit). Who wouldn’t prefer the working-class New Jerseyite of late ‘70s and early ’80s Springsteen to these assholes?
-Mary
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