Having given us the rock record of 2006 in Boys and Girls in America, the Hold Steady is back with a vengeance. For those not familiar with their work, these Brooklyn boys produce epic, almost cinematic rock music that owes much to classic era Springsteen and the twin guitar drive of Thin Lizzy but to reduce their sound to a mere pastiche of influence would be to do them a massive disservice. The music is in many ways the soundtrack through which we glimpse an amazing cast of characters who continue to pop up from album to album. It’s a world of cheap thrills, disillusionment and disconnection and it’s rarely been as compelling as in the hands and vocal chords of Craig Finn. Brilliant!