Separation Sunday, the Hold Steady's second album and the subject of season 2 of A Positive Jam, kicks off with "Hornets! Hornets!", a track that shows both how much the band grew between the recording of their debut (Almost Killed Me) and Separation Sunday and how much they were staying the same. A fuller sound, lyrics with both call-backs and new settings, and songwriting that takes things up to another level. "Hornets! Hornets!" is as distinctive and classic as an album opener gets.

Shawn Westfall, Mike Taylor, and Daniel Shvartsman break down all the good stuff, including a thorough Kate Bush analysis, the importance of organs to Craig Finn, and how the album's Catholic themes pop up in lines you might least expect.