The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy (February 19, 2021) • Page 6

Anti-woo, sounds too much like sirens which will trip me up in the car

 

I like WOOS in general, I just don't like THESE woos

 

Cant say I mind the woos. An unexpected but fine touch

 

I enjoy the woos

 

They’re so uncharacteristic and weird that they contribute to this kinda uneasiness i felt all record

 

What do people make of the lyrics? To me, this is the bleakest album of theirs

 

I can understand not liking those whoos, but I love ‘em

 

The lyrics are great as always, although I do wish we learned a few more of the characters' names. It sometimes feels like Holly and Charlemagne have been replaced by a bunch of anonymous "she"s

 

The Hold Steady: Open Door Policy

 

Semi-related: Did Vagrant Records call it quits? I noticed the last thing they did was re-press Stay Positive on vinyl and their social media has been quiet since 2018.

 

Unpleasant Breakfast has instantly become one of my favorite THS songs. Can understand not liking the woo's -- but they work for me, big time.

Some of my favorite lyrical work Craig's ever done. The imagery of this part:

Last summer at the shoreline
When you walked into the water
Went out up to your waistline
And turned back to face the camera
Rolled your eyes back in their sockets
Then you raised your middle fingers
Defiant and undamaged
That's when I took the picture

is so perfectly delivered in between the woo's, and it's heartbreaking given the gut punch at the end of the song:
You said, "Yeah, I guess it's pretty, but I'm a shell of what I once was"
That girl in last year's picture is now haunting her own hallways.
I no longer see the romance in these ghosts."

So fucking good.

 

I think Craig told me that the "woos" are actually like keyboard flourishes haha

 

“Still tryna make moves / but I’m back in Independence, Missouri” is the saddest Hold Steady lyric IMO

 

I'm with you on #2.... ruins the whole track (which is otherwise great) for me. I actually stopped listening to the record when that song ended, and chalked it up to "I must just not be in a Hold Steady mood today".

 

Anyone ever check out Franz's solo stuff? A ton of variation across what he's done, but this here tune sounds like it was born from the brief bit of time when he played in Against Me!

 

Franz goes HARD on this record.

And “Lanyards” is their best song in years.

 

Agreed on both counts.

 

Playing the new album in full live for free on Twitch this Thursday.

 

I guess My old ass will have to figure out how to do twitch

 

prayin 4 u jim

 

Thnx for the support

 

Reminder for free ODP album stream coming up at 8:30 EST.

Here's a link to it. At least I think that's a link to it. Also have no idea how Twitch works but hopefully we can figure it out.

 

ill be watching !!

 

Is there a really odd guitar tone going on or am I imagining that. Didn’t hear it on Spices but it’s back now.

 

That was rad !