Chris Ingalls: Bob Mould has been on a creative and commercial high point lately; his last few albums have combined crunchy guitars, introspective lyrics and smart melodies more effectively than anything since late Hüsker Dü. This time around, it ain’t broke and he ain’t fixing it. The guitars are still high in the mix and there’s minimal fussing involved. Mould continues to stay relevant well into his AARP years. The fact that he is constantly writing and staying true to his vision while sounding current and relevant is highly commendable… and rare. [8/10]
Emmanuel Elone: Featuring standard rock instrumentation, a basic chord progression, and a simple song structure, “Hold On” is your typical run-of-the-mill rock tune. The only exception in this case is Mould’s vocals, which are good yet often drowned out by the much louder guitar and drum in the back. If the mixing on this song was fixed, it would be an ever so slightly above-average rock song, but right now it’s merely average at best. [5/10]
Chad Miller: A little cheesy for my tastes though it could have been worse. Thankfully the track sounds fine though. The bridge is particularly enjoyable and is probably the high point of the song. The harmonies are pretty good as well. [6/10]
Pryor Stroud: With coarse, rafters-reaching guitar work and ballistic percussion, “Hold On” is a highly-concentrated slice of straightforward alt-rock songwriting, heavy on dynamics and fret-play but ultimately lacking in sonic invention or melodic intrigue. Mould’s vocal is admirably ambitious, and he hits and sustains a nearly immaculate note in the final chorus, but the track as a whole struggles to distinguish itself from other similar efforts in the genre. [5/10]
SCORE: 6.00