"Reptilia" comin' soon, y'all.
It was a summer day, and I was on the road to the Jamacia train station. I was listening to the radio when this catchy little hook comes on the radio, I was pleased. I knew it was going to be stuck in my head when the chorus came on:
In barlight, she looked all right.
In daylight, she looked desperate
That's all right I was desperate too,
I'm gettin' pretty sick of this interview
Subpoenaed in Texas,
Sequstered in Memphis!
And I got The Hold Steady's "Stay Positive" for Christmas. While The Hold Steady might seem like an entry level hipster/indie band, I'd file them under "Hidden Gem", since I regard "hipster" and "indie" with negative connotations. And I just plain don't like Questionable Content (a webcomic).
Another reason why I'm not dropping the "indie" bomb is that despite the morose sounding singer, these tracks (or most of them) are pretty upbeat and can rock pretty hard.
The most amazing thing about the album is that the CD knows when I'm bored. The first two tracks, "Constructive Summer" and "Sequestered In Memphis", are both high energy and catchy tunes. The next one "One For The Cutters" lives up to it's name. Everything fits together, but it's too depresing sober. But what's this? "Navy Sheets" is here to pick me up! The three chord hook and bouncy keyboards make it almost sound kinda like an Aquabat song. Even the normally low tone singer has improved his mood!
"Lord I'm Discouraged" is a long, classic rock ballad, and when it was starting to slow down, it comes in with the most bitchin' epic solo I've heard in a while.
Yeah, the singer sounds like he's constantly depressed, but luckily what he sings is a million times better than how he sings it. The songs are very narrative, and depending on the song, are perfect for drinking. The music sets the mood, and the guitar and keyboard complement each other well.
BOTTOM LINE: A great CD by a band I'm sad I didn't find out about sooner, that heralds a return to all I love about classic rock.
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