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/