Pleasure Suck

The Philadelphia band’s new record often veers towards an alluring ugliness. But when they let some light in and it hits just right, *Pleasure Suck *emanates a psych-folk warmth.

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is a deeply empathetic songwriter. That’s not always obvious, since his characters tend to be working through (self-imposed) streaks of bad luck or turbulent emotional spirals. However, even his protagonists with shifting moral compasses tend to be likable, mainly because Finn is adept…