The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams

The Hold Steady took a hit when they initially lost their mustachioed companion Franz Nicolay.  Thinking a few years back, Heaven Is Whenever suggested a band in lockdown.  Like a lover in denial after a breakup, the American rock band couldn’t seem to acknowledge the gaping hole in its soul.  The resulting album felt colourless and grey, lacking the heart of its predecessors. 

Fast-forward a long four years and the The Hold Steady responds to their relative letdown with their sixth studio full length, Teeth Dreams.  They say that time mends heartache, and perhaps that’s all it took.  Teeth Dreams marks a return to confidence for the Brooklyn band, making for ten songs that play with the ease and lyrical perceptiveness of milestone Stay Positive.  Or put differently, the quintet’s carefree swagger is back and sounding as organic as ever.

Fans will immediately champion that Craig Finn isn’t afraid to rock out and ramble from the start.  Early on, “I Hope I Didn’t Frighten You” finds Finn emphasizing each lyric with his trademark colloquial delivery of self one-upmanship.  The band’s vivid narrative style kicks in, digging back into their lore and referencing the fictitious but intimidating Cityscape Skins, this time around living up to the gang’s reputation with word on the street cautioning a comeback seeing them “stocking up like it’s World War IV.”  Of course this is all told from the perspective of city street gossip, spilling from overheard conversations in dark nightclubs and bars, and making for the protagonist’s relative aura of unease.  The resulting tension suggests some sort of loose connection, as if fearing the return of past ghosts once thought buried.  “On With The Business” even sees some of those ghosts making visits as our unnamed crew wakes up with what Finn refers to as “that American sadness,” and the untimely haunting by one’s past.  Point being for listeners, Teeth Dreams is wildly entertaining and as insightful as any of The Hold Steady’s past works.

Of course fans of American rock n’ roll also stand to gain plenty from The Hold Steady.  Songs like “Spinners” and “Runner’s High” thrive off gritty riffs and a multitude of Steve Selvidge’s punchy guitar solos.  But for every “I Hope I Didn’t Frighten You,” there’s an “Almost Everything” or “The Ambassador” around the bend, ready to kneel down contently for a reflective curbside moment.  While not as defined as their high energy counterparts, this intermittent change of pace rounds out Teeth Dreams as more than just a low level rocker.

Make no mistake; The Hold Steady is back and in full form.  Teeth Dreams succeeds at once again making the New York rockers tried and tested formula feel fresh.  Where Heaven Is Whenever felt cold and contrived, Teeth Dreams is lucid and alive.  The Hold Steady may not pick up too many new fans this time around, but they will certainly excite those already onboard.