Crazy Zany Radio Sunday - 'Barely Breathing' van The Hold Steady

Every week our contributors will voice their opinion concerning one song, it’s a simple as that! The more the merrier, so people are always welcome to join in, just leave a note, eh.

Track: ‘Barely Breathing’ by The Hold Steady (listen here)
Average Grade: 5.4

Jon: I used to love this band, I still do it's just Craig Finn's repetitive nasal drone I grew tired of. The rest of the band are still as tight as ever, dig the angsty ska guitar riff and the jazzy organ. Crank them up on eleven boys!
4.9/10

Danielle: This song has some of my favorite lyrics in a while, "He tried to hand me a pamphlet about Hare Krishna/I said : You gotta be kidding/Who the hell is the blue guy?" Too good. Musically I found it enjoyable, topped off nicely by that bluesy clarinet. It may not have a huge "wow" factor, but it's definitely a solid track that makes me want to break out the tambourine.
6.5/10

Linda: Will it blend? That is the question! I love White Rabbits and Spoon, but will it blend? Let's find out! I think I'm gonna push the copyright infringment button for this. - blends the two and opens the lid - The Hold Steady Smoke! Don't breathe this! And yes, it blends!
5.2/10

Ilse: The beginning of this track really reminds me of something and for the whole week I’ve been trying to think of what it is, but I can’t seem to figure it out. Musically, this track sounds pretty cool, but somehow I don’t find it spectacularly appealing, perhaps because I’m not too fond of the vocals… Nope this one's not bad, but not really for me.
6.2/10

Craig: I like the narrative quality of the lyrics on this one, and that clarinet that comes in at the end. Is this alt-country?
6/10

Anna: As far as Hold Steady tracks go, this is alright. It's not going to convert me to Hold Steady, but it makes for a pleasant listen. The most interesting thing is how much it reminds me of a Spoon song, but I can't put my finger on it. Stef?
5.7/10

Stef: I don’t know what kind of Spoon song this might sound like, I only know that I for one would never mistake this for something I love.
3/10