The Hold Steady’s fifth studio album, Heaven is Whenever, came out last week. On first listen, I wasn’t a huge fan. Then I put it in my car. I forget that The Hold Steady graduated from headphones long ago. These tunes are meant for the arena, to be pumped loud and unabashed from speakers. Craig Finn’s lyrics are no longer intimate stories, but manifest themselves as proclamations. Perhaps not quite as strong as previous offerings, but destined for heavy rotation this summer.
