The Hold Steady have managed to take a somewhat unpopular and usually underground genre and style into the spotlight which is crowded with one too many smooth singers. ‘Stay Positive’ is a progression for the band and a direction full of potential.
Even though you still may not recognize the name, The Hold Steady broke out into the mainstream with their last record and ‘Stay Positive’ should do just as well. The very raw indie rock music and vocals which sound inspired by rancid or other early punk have just enough pop in the mix to work for the masses. Besides 1 or 2 painful songs the album is pretty good and worth looking into.
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