Brooklyn six-piece
The Hold Steady are an NYC indie-rock institution. The bandâs revered songwriter Craig Finn plumbs the depths of the human condition to tell stories that explore power, wealth, mental health, technology, capitalism, consumerism, and survival â issues which have compounded over the last 12 months. Their seventh studio album âThrashing Thru The Passionâ, released 15 years after their debut, showed the band rejuvenated, receiving critical praise far and wide in 2019. Now, theyâve unveiled their eighth collection of poetically punky musical works which carries their fresh momentum to expansive heights.
Sonically, âOpen Door Policyâ sees The Hold Steady explore new textures including horns which feature prominently on tracks like âHeavy Covenantâ and âHanover Cameraâ. âIt feels like our most musically expansive record,â says Finn in a press release, but their characteristic backbone of driving rock guitars and piano breaks still holds the fore, especially in lead single âFamily Farmâ which pays homage to the late Eddie Van Halen with a lyrical reference to his track âEruptionâ.