Yahoo! Music Review

Released on 22/12/08
Label: Rough Trade

In these dark mid-winter days, with the credit crunch gloom bearing down and hope seemingly in short supply, it can be hard to avoid spiralling into a pit of melancholy and depression. In such trying times, what's really needed is an inspirational message belted out over boozy stadium rock, by a good, honest, hard grafting Brooklyn band who sound like they've already drunk the mini-bar dry. Praise the lord then for The Hold Steady and the heart-warming surge that is the title track from their fourth album, "Stay Positive".

Chugging through the grim reality of life for the verses, punching the air and dancing in the isles for the chorus's celebration of the power of positive thinking, there could hardly be a more appropriate anthem for the times we're living in. Like Bruce Springsteen at his best, The Hold Steady have a way of summing-up the plight of the ordinary working man and turning it into pounding, beer-soaked three chord rock gold. Meat and potato stuff it might be, but it's rousing, invigorating and inspiring nonetheless.

    by Dan Gennoe