))
A Positive Jam Track 5: Certain Songs
Manage episode 271009995 series 2773351
Content provided by Shortman Studios. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Shortman Studios or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Certain Songs slows things down, and it marks the feature debut of Franz Nicolay’s piano playing - a key sonic element in the albums that follow Almost Killed Me. Certain Songs not only foreshadows the Hold Steady's future; it also raises the question: Do the band’s heartfelt ballads bring the momentum to a halt?
We talk about how Certain Songs’ “piano man” balladeering fits on the album, whether slow songs are acceptable for hard-rock Hold Steady fans, and what it means that Craig Finn's lyrics spotlight a woman for the first time on the album. We also draw on canonic cultural works like...checks notes...The OC to explain why drawing on Billy Joel, Meatloaf, and the more populist side of rock and roll is effective, at least in this case.
Check out full show notes here: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-5-certain-songs/
31 episodes
Share
