Thrashing Thru The Passion
Frenchkiss
2019
Rating: 8 washable mouths out of 10
After a five year break the Hold Steady return with their eighth album, “Thrashing Thru The Passion,” though to hear it you’d never think they missed a single day apart. Then again, during that break singer Craig Finn released a few solo albums, and as most people would likely point to Finn’s voice as the most defining element of the band, you’ll be forgiven if you didn’t even know this break happened. Let’s not beat around the bush – all Hold Steady records sound basically the same, it’s just a matter of how enjoyable the particular set of songs are that make up any given release. To quote Larry David, “Thrashing Thru The Passion” is “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” They kick off on a very strong note with “Denver Haircut,” and seldom let up from there (“T-Shirt Tux” being the only song I’m not crazy about). “Traditional Village” is also a standout, and I’d probably immediately place “Entitlement Crew” as one of the band’s all-time best tracks. This is big, straight-forward rock music, noteworthy only in the fact that’s well made and stands up to repeated listens. Hell, I’ve been listening to it for four months before finally getting around to writing this short blurb. As always, a Hold Steady record is instantly recognizable even on the first listen, and sometimes that’s all you need.
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