The Hold Steady

Since their breakthrough album, “Separation Sunday,” The Hold Steady have become one of the most polarizing bands in indie rock. To some, they’re the new standard-bearers of the classic rock revival. Others consider them derivative and label them as the poster children of Pitchfork-induced hype. Their devotees praise their energy and earnestness, but their detractors ridicule the drugged-out, sex-crazed disillusionment that permeates their lyrics and sends hipster students into a swoon.

On “Stay Positive,” the Brooklyn band presents some of their most exciting and universal material to date. The new record may not end the continuing argument over the band’s merits, but it should be enough to quiet some of their critics. At the very least, they’ve crafted one of the most enjoyable albums of the summer.

The Hold Steady have built up and filled out their sound with varying levels of success. “Sequestered in Memphis” thrives on fuzzed-out guitar and stuttering horns, and “Slapped Actress” succeeds through the dichotomy of delicate piano and a massive guitar line. In contrast, “Navy Sheets” suffers under the weight of up-front New Wave keyboards and “Both Crosses” sounds out of place with its theremin accents and banjo outro.

However, the secret to the album’s strength isn’t its beefed-up sound, but rather Craig Finn’s comparably stripped-down lyricism, which is probably more appropriate for his audience. For example, previous album “Boys and Girls in America” began with a Kerouac quote; the beginning of this one cites Iggy Pop.

Biblical allusions still pop up throughout the record, but Finn is now less consumed with literary references and name-dropping Twin Cities locales. This allows him to prove he can write songs that convey themes of frustration and redemption to people who don’t have an English degree and a map. The lyrics aren’t as fun to pore over, but the songs are more fun to listen to.

“Stay Positive” may not be The Hold Steady’s smartest or most unique album, but it showcases a band that is continually evolving in several directions. The slower songs are more serious and sinister, but the faster, harder pop songs are surely the album’s strong points. These songs are catchy enough to stick in your head from the first time you hear them until the next time you hear the band on the radio, and judging by the growing popularity of first single “Sequestered in Memphis,” that shouldn’t be very long for anyone.

Four albums in, it’s clear that The Hold Steady haven’t succeeded in ushering in a new generation of Springsteens, but as they rise in popularity they continue to reward their listeners and win over their critics.

—Staff writer Jeff W. Feldman can be reached at jfeldman@fas.harvard.edu