The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn has announced a new solo album titled A LEGACY OF RENTALS. The follow-up to 2020’s All These Perfect Crosses is set for release on May 20 via Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers. Along with the announcement, Finn has shared a new song called ‘Messing With the Settings’. Check it out and find a trailer for the album below.
A LEGACY OF RENTALS was produced by Finn’s longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman and engineered by D. James Goodwin. “The title A LEGACY OF RENTALS acknowledges that we can never completely hold any of our possessions, and that our bodies are merely a temporary residence for our souls,” Finn explained in a statement. “All moments are fleeting. After the destruction of the past few years, I believe that there is joy in each and every living action, however mundane — walking to the kitchen, missing a train, spilling coffee, cleaning it up, meeting a friend for a meal. We all want to be remembered. We all want our time here to be consequential. In taking these daily actions, we engage in hope, and we guarantee our unique place in history.”
Speaking about ‘Messing With the Settings’, he added: “Memory is a major theme through A LEGACY OF RENTALS, and I wanted the first song on the record to open on that note. This song is literally a eulogy. It’s delivered by someone who has lost touch with the recently deceased but still finds them important. Musically, it really explores the line between talking and singing, which was something we leaned into on this record. We wanted to make this song an incantation of sorts. It also features the beautiful 14-piece string section that played on a lot of these songs. I wanted to it have a cinematic feel, like Gone With The Wind or something like that.”
The Hold Steady’s most recent album, Open Door Policy, came out last year.
LEGACY OF RENTALS Cover Artwork:
LEGACY OF RENTALS Tracklist:
1. Messing With The Settings
2. The Amarillo Kid
3. Birthdays
4. The Year We Fell Behind
5. Due To Depart
6. Curtis & Shepard
7. Never Any Horses
8. Jessamine
9. A Break From The Barrage
10. This Is What It Looks Like
