The Hold Steady have released their fourth straight masterpiece. Discuss.

Of course by "Have Released" you mean "Will release on July 15th" which is just about a month and a half away still.

Don't worry. I'm not getting on you and trying to start another piracy discussion, I just thought this information should be put out there.

I'm really excited about the new album. I always thought of myself as a minor fan of Hold Steady, and then I realized how much I listen to them and how I like everything they have ever recorded. To my surprise I'm actually a really big fan.

I think it's good, but after listening to it several times, I don't think it holds up to Boys and Girls (which I also thought was better than Separation Sunday). Anyway, I'm staying positive on the new album .

I have an incredibly difficult time picking a favorite album by the Hold Steady, but if I was forced to I'd put them in this order:

1. Separation Sunday
2. Stay Positive
3. Almost Killed Me
4. Boys and Girls in America

Of course, this is all relative, since Boys and Girls in America was my #1 album of 2006.

I haven't heard the new one, but I will chime in and say I'd rank Separation Sunday and Almost Killed Me above Boys and Girls in America.

quote:

Originally posted by EricG75:
I haven't heard the new one, but I will chime in and say I'd rank Separation Sunday and Almost Killed Me above Boys and Girls in America.

And what is your preference between those two?

I've noticed this is one of those bands whose catalogue gets constantly smashed into an order of quality. To me, they're pretty consistant and all of their albums serve a fundamental purpose of diversifying whatever respective year they are released in. It's good to have an up-to-date Hold Steady album in the year's roster, as a rule.

quote:

Originally posted by L. R. William Spencer:

quote:

Originally posted by EricG75:
I haven't heard the new one, but I will chime in and say I'd rank Separation Sunday and Almost Killed Me above Boys and Girls in America.

And what is your preference between those two?

Tough call. I'd probably go with Separation Sunday, since it's a little more unified in terms of the characters and stories, but Almost Killed Me is close. I think I like the lyrics on Separation Sunday, but the music better on Almost Killed Me.

I will also chime in and say that the songwriting is a ton better on "Stay Positive" and "Boys and Girls," in my opinion. Plus, the vocals got less grating and, well, annoying. "Sequestered" may be one of the best songs of the year so far.

I predict this album will be regarded as their "Breakthrough" in terms of crossover appeal, because it seems like the kind of album wimpy emo kids could get into. That said, I'm digging it big time, so I'm going to go write in my diary and take pictures of myself with my head tilted slightly downward and hair obscuring my eyes to make me look "mysterious".

quote:

Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:
I've noticed this is one of those bands whose catalogue gets constantly smashed into an order of quality. To me, they're pretty consistant and all of their albums serve a fundamental purpose of diversifying whatever respective year they are released in. It's good to have an up-to-date Hold Steady album in the year's roster, as a rule.

I completely agree that it's hard to separate the albums in terms of quality, as evidenced by the fact that my least favorite album of theirs was still my #1 of 2006. There's definitely not a lot of difference in terms of quality.

"Lord, I'm Discouraged" is such an excellent song. Good god.

I'm going to have to listen to Almost Killed Me, he namedrops it like 3-4 times over the course of the album.

*Scrambles to his file-sharing service of choice*

As a relative Hold Steady newbie, I'd have to rank Boys and Girls in America as my favorite of the three (I haven't listened to the new one yet). Of course, that is the album I began my THS journey with and then worked my way backwards.

I'd be curious to find out the correlation between the first Hold Steady album listened to and its ranking.

The only reason to say you like either of the previous Hold Steady albums better than Boys and Girls is that you don't quite listen to music correctly. As of its debut, it became the best in their catalog. That's just....I mean I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.

(obviously I'm here to make friends)

quote:

Originally posted by Vypa:
As a relative Hold Steady newbie, I'd have to rank Boys and Girls in America as my favorite of the three (I haven't listened to the new one yet). Of course, that is the album I began my THS journey with and then worked my way backwards.

I'd be curious to find out the correlation between the first Hold Steady album listened to and its ranking.

I agree Vypa. I'm the same way. Boys and Girls was my first, and I'm surprised to not see that it was everyones favorite. I'll have to dig back and find Almost Killed Me. All I have heard from it is "The Swish" and it's one of my favorite songs of theirs. I bought Separation Sunday thinking "The Swish" was on it and was disapointed that it wasn't, and I thought I was disapointed with the album over all, until yesterday when I realized I have listened to it for several months now non stop.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackGravel:
you don't quite listen to music correctly.

BlackGravel is quite right. I had been placing the headphones on my genitals until his insightful thread about the Wrens' Meadowlands set me straight.

Seriously though, nothing tops Separation Sunday.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackGravel:
The only reason to say you like either of the previous Hold Steady albums better than Boys and Girls is that you don't quite listen to music correctly. As of its debut, it became the best in their catalog. That's just....I mean I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.

(obviously I'm here to make friends)

Even with songs like "Citrus," "You Can Make Him Like You," and "Chillout Tent"?

quote:

Originally posted by youandwhosearmy:
BlackGravel is quite right. I had been placing the headphones on my genitals until his insightful thread about the Wrens' Meadowlands set me straight.

.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
I'll have to dig back and find Almost Killed Me. All I have heard from it is "The Swish" and it's one of my favorite songs of theirs.

My name's Rick Danko, but people call me One Hour Photo.

Almost Killed Me is a must if you like the other albums. Great stuff. "Killer Parties", which closes the album, is probably my single favorite Hold Steady track. When I saw them live, they closed out the show with it and invited the entire crowd to get on stage with the band. Pretty incredible stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by L. R. William Spencer:

quote:

Originally posted by BlackGravel:
The only reason to say you like either of the previous Hold Steady albums better than Boys and Girls is that you don't quite listen to music correctly. As of its debut, it became the best in their catalog. That's just....I mean I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is.

(obviously I'm here to make friends)

Even with songs like "Citrus," "You Can Make Him Like You," and "Chillout Tent"?

Whoa. "Chillout Tent" is probably my favorite HS song. (I even have a bumper sticker that says "oranges and cigarettes"). I looooove that song.