The Hold Steady, 'Stay Positive'

Backstory: Brooklyn-based and Midwest-bred, the Hold Steady strives to carry the torch for underground indie rock heroes like Hüsker Dü. Since the band’s formation in 2004, frontman Craig Finn (now 36) has become a patron saint to drug-addled hipsters and spiritually minded scenesters everywhere; his songs are strewn with hard-living characters and shots at redemption.
 
Why you should care: The Hold Steady’s last album, “Boys and Girls in America,” was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2006. And if they tour “Stay Positive” like they toured that one, then it’s likely that you’ll run into them on the festival circuit for the next few years—even if you aren’t seeking them out.

Verdict: The Hold Steady’s strong suit is boisterous barroom rockers with a brain, and “Stay Positive” serves up two of the band’s best: a title track that considers the plight of aging in the Peter Pan world of rock, and the thunderously optimistic opener, “Constructive Summer.” Finn offers shout-outs to a few of his teachers, from Joe Strummer to straight-edgers Youth of Today and 7 Seconds; like them, he’s a man with a message, and that message is broadcast right in the album title. He could use a reminder himself sometimes, as he gets bogged down in a few too many narratives that are pretty dreary both lyrically and musically (no offense to the band’s new harpsichord).

X-Factor: In a reaction against an online leak, early physical copies of “Stay Positive” include three album-quality bonus tracks.

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