The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams

[rating=6.00]

With the promos and lead up to The Hold Steady’s newest album Teeth Dreams, the group has talked about taking their time and returning with “Big Rock” aspirations. While the songs seem to go down that path, the band paired for the first time with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Evanescence) who admittedly had not heard the group before. Therein lays the issue with Teeth Dreams as a whole; an overproduced yet muted, un-Hold Steady like sound that saps the album of its possible strengths.

Where past efforts soared; big sing along choruses, dynamic piano swells, a pounding rhythm section, here those positive attributes are negligible. What is intact is the group’s powerful songwriting. Craig Finn is on his game crafting new scenarios (“The Only Thing”) and tying them into old ones (“I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You”) while the instrumentation yearns for power, yet things never take off.

Examples are “On With The Business” that seems to build to a crushing chorus but stays reserved never slamming into overdrive with the distant sounding drums playing a part. The guitar layered “Runners High” flirts with elevation but fumbles when matching vocals with the twin guitar attack of Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge. “Spinners” is also at odds overall with vocal delays and effects sapping the strength of the lyrics and the playing; what could have been an extension of “Constructive Summer” sounds like a restrained distant cousin instead.

“Big Cigs” comes closest to capturing the past feeling with a sped up chorus, distorted bass and self deprecating lyrics that instill a smile. The softer numbers also work with this production/style, “Almost Everything” ends up being the track that sticks around the longest via it’s acoustic flair, dramatic space and tenderness. “Oaks” ends things with a loaded guitar solo and a climactic touch, continuing a tradition of Hold Steady’s album closers.

Perhaps it was a case of misplaced expectations (and a mismatched producer) but things feel calm and restrained when rock and roll abandoned was needed; an area where the group has successfully mined before. Of course live these tunes will take on beer soaked adventures of their own but as for a studio disk Teeth Dreams lasting memory may be a missed opportunity.