Boys and Girls In America

iTunes Review

The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn is less a singer than a raconteur, ready and willing to bend the ear of anyone who dares to take a seat next to him at the bar. Drinking, drugs, religion and memories of his youth alongside the Mississippi River take up most of his time, and though not traditionally musical, he finds an inner rhythm that carries him over the rough patches. For their third album, the Brooklyn-based band diversifies, hitting harder with additional orchestration and keyboards while Finn calms down and sings with a newfound sensitivity. “Stuck Between Stations,” a brilliant, sad look at adolescent love and an unusual paean to the late poet John Berryman, and the street tough “Hot Soft Light” deliver a Thin Lizzy-like buzz, revved by arena hard rock powerchords and a rapid-fire delivery. But it’s the piano-based “First Night” and its follow-up “Party Pit” where the band extend to a third dimension, pressing the power ballad into active service without embarrassing results. “Southtown Girls” manages to cut a convincing stab at heartland rock. They’ve come of age beautifully.