Heaven Is Whenever

iTunes Review

The Hold Steady have become a rock ‘n’ roll institution. They have yet to make the proper commercial inroads, but they’ve been compared to the Replacements with their Minneapolis roots and working man’s poetics. Heaven Is Whenever begins with the Stones-like Exile On Main Street-era country vamp of “The Sweet Part of the City.” Singer Craig Finn is singing more than ever, throwing away the spoken rants of the older material for a chance at intimacy. Keyboardist Franz Nicolay has left the band and in place of his Springsteen-like keyboard flourishes are the twin guitars or Finn and Kubler. Together, they head for the arenas where tunes such as “Soft In the Center,” “Rock Problems,” “Hurricane J” and the seven-minute closing anthem “A Slight Discomfort” would sound perfectly at home. As it stands, they’re one of the louder indie-rock bands hitting the club scene. “The Weekenders,” “The Smidge” (and its cowbell) and “We Can Get Together” are exactly what fans expect: heartland rock with smarts, empathy and the feeling that no one grows old without a good fight.