There’s a small host of current hipster bands—Ambulance Ltd., Stellastarr*, Longwave and others—referencing the same British shoegazer pop as New Radiant Storm King to much more acclaim. But NRSK has been at it since the elder George Bush was president, and as evidenced by The Steady Hand, this contemporary of Pavement, Sebadoh and Guided by Voices has endured to craft a thoroughly engaging collection of sterling guitar rock that puts its younger colleagues to shame.
Illuminated by the ringing guitar tones of Peyton Pinkerton (also known for his work with the Pernice Brothers), the songs on The Steady Hand tell mature and bittersweet stories of regret, missed opportunities, lost years and painful memories. These are songs no 20-year-old could write, like the soul-searching “Accountant of the Year” and the melancholy nostalgia of “Yardsale Legacy.” The Steady Hand is, delightfully, both a throwback to the glory days of college rock and a refreshing restatement of core values and ideas by a veteran band that sounds born again.
By Jim Testa
(originally posted on) Harp Magazine