There are plenty of thoughtful, intelligent rock music fans -- some of whom write about the industry for a living -- who claim that The Hold Steady is the only band that really matters right now.

It's that kind of hyperbolic statement that makes old fans wretch and predisposes the uninitiated to denounce the media buzz and dislike groups on principle.

I like The Hold Steady a great deal and I will state at the outset, after listening to the group's new record, "Heaven is Forever," that Craig Finn and friends are not the only group "that matters."

But, they matter.

"Heaven is Forever," which hit stores and download centers yesterday, features 11 interesting songs that strip away some of the crunchy bombast of the group's previous efforts in favor of a graceful, cinematic landscape carved by guitarist Tad Kubler and bassist -- and Whitefish Bay native -- Galen Polivka that pairs with Finn's less-snarky-but-still-clever lyrics like cold beer and barbecue at a backyard cookout.

The departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay, who left the group before the recording of this CD, reduced some of the Springsteen-like sweep of the songs. Finn -- the 38-year-old front man who doesn't look the part -- pays homage to Saint Bruce by wearing his belief in the transformative power of rock and roll on his sleeve.

The cover shot of a hand reaching to the heavens (or is that a hand that just dropped a lighter while asking for an encore?) invites listeners to the soft-pedaled opening track, "The Sweet Part of the City," that opens with a slide guitar riff, a Twin Cities reference and a declaration -- "We were bored, so we started a band/We like to play for you/ We like to pray for you" -- that makes you wonder if there is a difference.

On early albums, Finn came off as the funny, tipsy guy at the party who confronted problems with searing humor. On this record, he comes off as older and wiser -- a guy equipped with a survival kit, evident when he croons over the slow grooves of "Soft in the Center."

You can't get every girl
You'll get the ones you love the best
You won't get every girl
You'll love the ones you get the best

The emotional center of the album is the hymn-like "We Can Get Together," which appears, fittingly, at the center of the song list (sixth of 11). Finn makes references to Husker Du, Meat Loaf, Pavement, the Psychedelic Furs and Todd Rundgren and Utopia and sings:

Heaven is whenever
We can get together
Sit down on the floor
And listen to your records

It was during that song that it hit me; Craig Finn is the spiritual brother of Rob Gordon, the record shop owner portrayed by John Cusack in the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's outstanding novel "High Fidelity." Finn is looking for love, hope, growth and self-understanding.

He does it through music and realizes, as his forefathers did, that while rock may not solve your problems, turning the amplifiers up can let you thrash and dance over them ("Hurricane J," "The Weekenders" and "Rock Problems") until you feel better about your station in life and your prospects for making them better.

They might not be "the only band that matters right now," but The Hold Steady will draw a throng of fans to a July 1 Summerfest appearance and it promises to be one of the best shows of the year.