The Hold Steady's ascent reaches a staging post with their fifth album. Wine-supping keyboard player Franz Nicolay has left and with him the flourishes that crossed the Steady over into giddy triumphalism. This collection is subtly excellent, however. Singer Craig Finn's lyrics remain a joy. There are entertaining detours into the guitar territories of AC/DC ("Smidge") and the Sex Pistols ("Rock Problems"), while "We Can Get Together", a touching memorial to Matthew Fletcher, the drummer in 90s indie band Heavenly, provides a welling-up point.