Top Albums 2006- #2

Boys and Girls in America
The Hold Steady
9/10
I must admit, I didn’t see what the big deal was at first. I had a hard time getting past Craig Finn’s monotone speak-singing. It wasn’t until Boys and Girls in America that I realized what kind of band I was dealing with. Craig Finn is like an insightful beer drinking frat brother with literary wit to match. On the first spin, the album plays out like a soundtrack to the best movie never made documenting college life. But dig deeper. Finn has the sort of storytelling sense only true poets poses, breathing life and depth into tunes that would otherwise be nothing but typical bar band romps. But let’s not knock the music. With the addition of keyboardist Franz Nicolay, the band achieves a musical depth not seen on previous records. Tad Kubler tops it all with the chops to make any guitarist jealous. Make no mistake, each musician holds their own. It’s amazing how an album can turn you around enough to appreciate the bands entire catalogue. The Hold Steady definitely deserves your attention. Soon enough, you may not have a choice in the matter.

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