| | Full Review | Ratings (368) |
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| 5.0 classic | NeutralThunder12 | March 28th 12 |
Glimmering with sharp hooks, soaring melodies, explosive choruses and impeccably detailed storytelling, The Hold Steady create their magnum opus, and a collective example of everything they do well perfected. Before Boys and Girls, Finn's storytelling was still goddamn brilliant, but the hooks, melodies and compositions weren't always there to leave a lasting impression. With this album, Finn's incredible detail surrounding fictional rock n roll lifestyles of the dense characters he's created is perfectly complimented by enormous vocal melodies and gripping choruses. The songs feel better constructed then ever before and the stories, while not as ridiculously deep or as cinematic as those on almost rock opera "Separation Sunday" still recreates the rock n roll type lifestyle in a smart, rich way. Finn sings of girls being able to predict horse races (it's smarter and better done that it sounds), things going from bad to worse and getting busted by cops (and holy shit are those lyrics done incredibly well), characters from albums past catching up, getting high drunk fucked up and everything associated with that. The best part about it is that it's all done so eloquently, and with incredibly catchy melodies to back it up. "Citrus", "Hot Soft Light", "Southtown Girls" and "Chips Ahoy" are all incredibly infectious, "Stuck Between Stations" is an incredibly rockin' opener, and "First Night" is a gorgeous ballad, possibly the best the band has done. Rock n' roll played the perfect way.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.0 poor | capes | October 26th 19 |
I re-read all the lyrics to make sure you guys weren't fuckin with me. The riffs are about as bland as rock can get and Finn's voice and delivery is annoying. Since the focus clearly isn't on what he's doing with his voice, and the instrumental isn't much more interesting, it puts a lot of emphasis on the lyrics. A LOT. It does feel very poetic, but I don't find them much more impressive than say.... 00s era Fall Out Boy. Though these lyrics are a hell of a lot easier to interpret!
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| 4.5 superb | ThunderNeutral21 | April 19th 12 |
hipster n' roll best album ever jam this instead of animal collective you faggots
Bump |
| 5.0 classic | iSkane | May 7th 11 |
Apparently, Craig Finn was a failed slam poet. I'm not necessarily sure why/how someone would tell them they're a failed slam poet, but he definitely proves them wrong with Boys and Girls.
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| 4.5 superb | llama1600 | April 18th 07 |
This borders on classic, lyrically solid and musically - well, if Zeppelin got a piano and took on a spoken-wordish feel - that's almost close. Amazing rock music, songs of depression, drugs, and life in America. Paints an American portrait not seen since the Beat Generation. Absolutely wonderful.
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| 4.0 excellent | DashBoi | April 26th 24 |
| 3.5 great | doofy | January 8th 24 |
| 3.5 great | eureka | June 18th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Atari STAFF | February 21st 21 |
| 4.5 superb | Josh | January 15th 20 |
| 3.0 good | bharry | April 28th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Lanteri | March 26th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | PieRye | November 25th 18 |
| 3.0 good | Trebor. EMERITUS | May 2nd 18 |
| 3.0 good | Alexxx | March 16th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | amoeba | October 2nd 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | YayoG1 | September 3rd 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Juanpa | August 10th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | Equium | April 2nd 17 |
| 3.0 good | spur55 | August 2nd 16 |
| 4.5 superb | LOE | May 26th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | BOZMODE | March 28th 16 |
| 3.5 great | tofue | December 28th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | Tom R. CONTRIBUTOR | September 21st 15 |
| 4.5 superb | boab92 | June 22nd 15 |
| 4.5 superb | JS19 | May 2nd 15 |
| 5.0 classic | stevep | February 16th 15 |
| 3.5 great | Greem | February 14th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Walt | November 9th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | LepreCon | September 14th 14 |
| 3.5 great | oahmed | September 1st 14 |
| 5.0 classic | 7OPHER | April 27th 14 |
| 3.0 good | Wreck | January 3rd 14 |
| 2.5 average | Skoj | December 15th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | aa2508 | November 14th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | robin | September 15th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Aids | September 9th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | foxxxy | August 17th 13 |
| 3.5 great | Mojito | February 9th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | mnstrmr | February 1st 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | jmh886 | December 29th 12 |
| 2.5 average | urzadek | December 17th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | cjo | September 3rd 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Thef | August 22nd 12 |
| 3.0 good | Spec | June 27th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Eko | June 24th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | foxxxy | April 21st 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | nwagner | April 18th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | John L | March 27th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | February 14th 12 |
| 1.5 very poor | Dotcommy | February 12th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | browais | January 3rd 12 |
| 1.0 awful | porch | November 21st 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | divoz | October 4th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | jubilee | September 1st 11 |
| 3.5 great | greg84 EMERITUS | July 7th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Yozzy | June 25th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jumaos | June 24th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | wabbit | June 18th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | mvood | May 5th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | BroFro | April 15th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | atrink | February 15th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | mallen- | January 15th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Zeus18 | October 18th 10 |
| 3.5 great | seifer | October 8th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | occer | September 20th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Leyland | September 18th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | G3N3R1C | September 11th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | becdar | July 19th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Brad52 | June 22nd 10 |
| 5.0 classic | csholm | June 16th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | jonreed | April 30th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Gogol | March 25th 10 |
| 3.0 good | Iai EMERITUS | March 20th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | danwar | February 16th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | TheDMV | February 11th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | BigHans | October 21st 09 |
| 2.0 poor | shade | October 13th 09 |
| 3.5 great | JoRos | August 8th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | JPNDRD | July 10th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | mvdu | June 4th 09 |
| 3.5 great | mdma | April 14th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | rgc19 | April 8th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | ECRbubs | April 6th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Kiran EMERITUS | November 29th 08 |
| 5.0 classic | dukes | October 24th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | tom79 | October 18th 08 |
| 3.5 great | f2f | October 5th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | Garito | August 20th 08 |
| 3.5 great | natey | March 20th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | bpkybe | October 10th 07 |
| 3.5 great | Mapple | August 12th 07 |
| 4.5 superb | JAD | June 14th 07 |
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