Teeth Dreams
25 March 2014
3 stars out of 5
The sixth LP by Brooklyn ’s
The Hold Steady, Teeth Dreams, sees
the trad rockers resting in a comfortable place, content with their basic
guitar rock template which has proven so successful in the past. Singer Craig
Finn’s lyrics are still multi-faceted stories of (sub)urban angst, full of
pain, drugs, mistakes, and long lost lovers. This album doesn’t have the energy
or the massive hooks of their 2006 classic Boys
and Girls in America, but then who has even come close to that in the last
eight years? Nobody. One of the unfortunate consequences having created such an
undisputed masterpiece is that everything that follows is going to be a
disappointment, regardless of its merits as a stand-alone piece.
In the case of The Hold Steady’s new LP, it would have been
a disappointment even if it were the band’s debut. Unlike the band’s
critically-lauded Boys and Girls or Separation Sunday, there’s not really
much to differentiate the songs from each other on Teeth Dreams. The departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay before
2010’s Heaven Is Whenever has had a
homogenizing effect on the band’s sound—even the tracks on Boys and Girls which didn’t feature much in the way of keys were
still distinct and memorable. Not here. The songs which comprise Teeth Dreams are solid enough
alternative rock tunes, but the album goes by with little to hold onto except
for Finn’s adept storytelling skills. But even while Finn still delivers the
goods, his delivery seems a little tired, and the goods sparkle a little less
than they once did.
While there are some satisfying rockers on this record,
there’s little incentive to return to them again and again like the band’s
earlier work. Because The Hold Steady remains faithful to their basic template,
this album would probably work very well in a live setting, but Teeth Dreams likely will never make it
into your List of the Top Three Hold Steady Records. For long time fans, check
out the epic album closer “Oaks.” It’s a keeper. For the rest of you, check out
their earlier material, specifically their first three LPs. You won’t be disappointed.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
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