The Hold Steady's new LP, Open Door Policy, is released via Thirty Tigers. The album follows 2019's Thrashing Thru The Passion, the band’s first as a newly-expanded 6-piece and Open Door Policy retains the same lineup. It’s an album full of stories that explore power, wealth, mental health, technology, capitalism, consumerism, and survival – issues which have compounded in 2020...

A rock album with punkish undertones, The Hold Steady's latest release makes quite an impact. Over the course of these 10 songs (40 min, 34 sec) the band tackle many subjects that impact us all - more so during the recent pandemic.

But even if you ignore the lyrics, the music styles on Open Door Policy shift and change from track to track making for an interesting album that you'll want to return to time and time again.

'Unpleasant Breakfast' has a wonderfully retro vibe and I became obsessed with the "woo woo" sounds. I couldn't figure if they were made by singers or electronically (they sound a little like the classic ghost train noises of yesteryear.

A solid old school rock album that doesn't disappoint.

8

Nick Smithson