Open Door Policy
by The Hold Steady
  • Record Label: Orchard
  • Release Date: Feb 19, 2021
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
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  1. ravelle17
    Mar 24, 2021
    8
    Simultaneously a return to form and the oddest album they’ve ever released. Gets better and better on every listen!
  2. shoeletariat
    Feb 19, 2021
    9
    Better than "Thrashing", my favorite of theirs since "Stay Positive". Looking forward to digging into the lyrics more, haven't had much time with it yet. But THS are always an 8-10 band and this is one of their best.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Mar 18, 2021
    80
    Open Door Policy is the album longtime fans have been waiting for. The lyrics are there and the music is there.
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  2. Under The Radar
    Mar 8, 2021
    65
    The band neither seems content to sit back and play the hits nor to break the formula too much. Perhaps that ambivalence holds Open Door Policy from ranking among their best, but The Hold Steady clearly have more to say and do in their second act, and the record points to how rewarding the possibilities can be.
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  3. No Ripcord
    Mar 2, 2021
    70
    While the album isn’t quite the overhaul that quote makes it out to be, there are enough twists to catch longtime fans off guard. Even with eight albums to their name, The Hold Steady continue to prove that consistency doesn’t mean going stale.
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