It's no secret that part of the appeal of The Hold Steady is their nod to classic rock tradition and Springsteen-style Midwestern ballads. It's debatable, however, whether that should be considered refreshing or pandering to a certain demographic. In J. Gabriel Boylan's review of Stay Positive at the New York Observer, maybe the only negative review of the album I've seen of the album, Boylan raises an interesting point:
The critics who praise The Hold Steady share a kind of collective relief that at last, someone's making music for men in their 30's who like classic rock.
But since when are men in their 30s who like classic rock such an underserved demographic?
There's certainly an argument to be made there, one in the tradition of recent controversy-starting pieces of music writing such as Kalefa Sennah's 2004 rap against "rockism" and last year's Sasha Frere-Jones article that called indie rock the whitest music ever.
Boylan's argument, however, is not nearly as spurious. He's simply pointing out that some people may be overenthusiastic about The Hold Steady because they play a style of music that is loved by a certain overrepresented group: white men under 40. I still love the Hold Steady, but I consider this a fair point.
The Hold Steady »
Critical contrarianism is a good thing, I say. Every band should have someone to deliver a chink to its armor. Boylan's point definitely has its merits, in this case.