Teeth Dreams
by The Hold Steady
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
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  1. Scooter4849
    Apr 23, 2014
    4
    Overall, this album can be summed up by one statement, "Generic Bar Rock" To me at least. Doesn't speak to me at all. At least i had no expectations for this thing, so i was not crushed.
  2. clinton79
    Mar 30, 2014
    6
    I love The Hold Steady. I have every album, collected every b-side and rare song I could find and I probably always will because I'm a loyalist when it comes to music. But if there's one album I would choose for people not to listen to when introducing themselves to the band, it would be 'Teeth Dreams.'

    A Hold Steady album is like sex: Even when it's bad, you're still having sex.    I love The Hold Steady. I have every album, collected every b-side and rare song I could find and I probably always will because I'm a loyalist when it comes to music. But if there's one album I would choose for people not to listen to when introducing themselves to the band, it would be 'Teeth Dreams.'

    A Hold Steady album is like sex: Even when it's bad, you're still having sex. There's nothing wrong with the album, but there are two things that could have been done better.

    The first is the mix. It's so washed out. Craig's vocals are constantly competing with two guitars, a bass and drums. One thing that was so great about their other albums was Craig's vocals slicing through and bringing everything together in a very unique way. His vocal style is an acquired taste but that;s what made it so great. Additionally, there's so much reverb on his vocals it takes away from the gruff, blunt talk-sing delivery we've become accustomed to. With such a bland mix there's no weight to the guitars. Everything just sounds like it's going then it's gone.

    Second, (I love Craig Finn's storytelling so it pains me to say) the lyrics are a little generic. Normally Craig paints a picture for us using imaginative characters. Then he brings them back in other songs. It's like replacing pronouns with familiar faces and I've grown attached to. But there's far too many "he/she/them" than there are "Holly/Gideon/Charlemagne." If you're not familiar with these characters, it's usually cool because you can pick up on them. It sounds like Craig is singing about Anytown, US than the Minneapolis/St. Paul underground.

    Other than those beefs which brought the score down from a 10 to a 8, it dropped 1 more in my opinion (which is like an a-hole, everyone's got one and they all stink except yours) because the songs just aren't there but they're so close. "I Hope this whole thing didn't Frighten You", "Spinners", "The Ambassador" and "Oaks" are good (I wonder if they could have been great with a different mix though.) "The Only Thing", "On with the Business", "Big City" and "Almost Everything" have elements that make them reasonably good listening. "Wait a While" and "Runner's High" just aren't good songs. I would have preferred if they were replaced with some rarities they released "Just Saying" and "Criminal Fingers"

    And then I dropped it one more point because...there's only 10 songs. Of course I'd be complaining about too many filler songs if they just threw two more on there. So I guess that's just a catch 22 from the session.

    Even if you don't like the album though, definitely check out their live show. Been to many of their concerts and they never fail to be awesome.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 33
  3. Negative: 1 out of 33
  1. Kerrang!
    Apr 30, 2014
    80
    With Teeth Dreams' measured and sometimes elongated songs, ideas both lyrical and musical are given room to breathe and to reach their fullest potential. [12 Apr 2014, p.53]
  2. Filter
    Apr 28, 2014
    74
    The results sees The Hold Steady with an in-your-face, rapid fire record that’s arena-ready and their most ambitious to date.
    Read full review
  3. Dusted Magazine
    Apr 24, 2014
    50
    It doesn’t help that the production is full of weird echoes and indistinctness.... And yet, there are some genuinely good songs here.
    Read full review
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