Minneapolis stalwarts Hold Steady are back. Hardly 'hold the front page news' stuff in 2023. Their moment has long come and gone again and given their steadfast loyalty to the core ingredients of their sound, no-one who has even a passing familiarity with the band will be remotely surprised by anything on show on latest album The Price of Progress.
They're a strangely conservative band frankly for one who at first sight might appear to be advocating revolution. With them it's only really a thought that occurs when they're onto the third beer on a night out with the boys. Craig Finn still sounds like the boy in Alan Sherman's Hello Muddah, Hello Father not quite grown up after all these years. Still railing at his paren's for sending him away to Holiday Camp. Or else oddly on here, Billy Joel singing Piano Man.
The rest of the band still sound like a cut price E Street Band or a slightly better heeled Replacements dressed up smartly and minding their Ps & Qs. Hold Steady always give good value for money. Every album a series of finely crafted short stories about small town middle aged disappointment with a determination to make the best of it anyway and have one last inadvisable round before making their weary way home, waking with a Saturday morning hangover.
The Price of Progress is a good Hold Steady record. They don't really do bad ones. It's primarily for the devoted. For fans who've been with them since the early days. I'm not among that number but I enjoyed it and think I'll be back until I get to know it better.. They know what they're doing which you can't say for everyone.
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