Stay Positive [Bonus Tracks]

On the Hold Steady's fourth studio album, enough of the band's trademarks are in place to suggest cohesion and consistency--the beery, unapologetically classic-rock emotionalism, the crunchy riffage and ascending hooks, the angsty poetry of the lyrics. At the same time, an unprecedented intensity and new enthusiasm for sonic exploration (aided by Jim Agnello's expansive production) stave off any hint that the band was headed for a rut.
Longtime listeners will relish the many moments when STAY POSITIVE veers off formula. And veer it does. "One for the Cutters" waltzes blearily between acid jazz and stately prog, with a haunting harpsichord motif. The lilting, rootsy ballad "Lord, I'm Discouraged," finds Craig Finn all but abandoning his usual sing-speak style for something more subtle. "Navy Sheets," possibly the heaviest thing the group has recorded, snarls in both senses of the word, with a labyrinthine melody and Finn's palpably disgusted vocal. The pounding new wave heraldry of the title song is the kind of thing that earned Graham Parker and Tom Robinson the "angry young man" tag 30 years ago. That the Hold Steady can breathe new life into that template is a testament to their biggest strength: the ability to maintain a forward-looking stance while acknowledging the influences of the past, and holding steady in the middle.