Prior to the release of The Hold Steady’s fifth album I was preparing myself for a let down. 2008’s Stay Positive was the group’s first glimmer of a transition to more modern rock sound and away from their “bar band” roots, and with the group that much older in 2010, it could only be expected to see that movement continue. The band hinted at a “less anthemic and more complex” album which raised a huge red flag for all THS fans and then of course, energetic keyboardist Franz Nicolay left the band taking his accordion and mustache with him. So with all that said, everything seemed to be lining up for a bit of a bust, but after listening to Heaven is Whenever, I can honestly say I was not let down nearly as much as I expected.
There are still plenty of jams on Heaven is Whenever full of sing along choruses that fans have come to expect making the whole “less anthemic and more complex” warning maybe a bit of a ruse. Tad Kubler still gets a couple guitar solos in, most notably on “Weekenders” and “Rock Problems”. And who needs an accordion when you have a freakin’ clarinet?? (See solo on “Barely Breathing”.) Lyrically, the themes of partying and adolescent uncertainty are still captured and Craig Finn still does a masterful job of referencing his own work, this time even harkening back to their debut Almost Killed Me possibly as a way for the band to say they’ve grown up and it’s time to look back and see if they’ve carried through with what they set out to do…i.e. held steady.
Where the album falters is that it just seems to be a more restrained version of The Hold Steady. There are less of those jams I spoke of as compared to their previous work, and it’s the first album where I really noticed Finn singing rather than doing his usual speak-singing throughout the songs. For whatever reason, this seems to sacrifice some of the relatable qualities that has always characterized the band. The raw energy of the group doesn’t show up as much which in part can be attributed to those dreaded over-production techniques that has claimed oh so many albums. And make no mistake about it; this band misses Franz Nicolay. But if I can be blatantly cliché for a moment, while Heaven is Whenever is probably the band’s worst album, that’s more of a testament to the greatness of their previous four.
The mystery of exactly when “heaven is whenever” is doesn’t come until pseudo title-track, “We Can Get Together”. Turns out “heaven is whenever we can get together, sit down on your floor, and listen to your records.” For a band that is always preaching about the redemptive power of rock ‘n’ roll, this should come as no surprise. They may be transitioning to an older rock band, but Craig Finn and the boys still know who they are, where they come from, and what they stand for, and as long as that spirit continues to pervade throughout the band, there should be no fear of a Hold Steady let down.
[“Hurricane J” – Heaven is Whenever]
A Round of Sound 
[…] The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever "A Round Of Sound And who needs an accordion when you have a freakin 'clarinet? (See about a "Barely Breathing"). Lyrically, the themes of the party and the uncertainty of the teenager are still captured and Craig Finn is still a masterful job reference … […]