Old 97’s return with Twelfth, their aptly titled 12th studio album, recorded this spring in Nashville, Tennessee between a tornado and a pandemic. Loose and raw, the record is an ecstatic celebration of survival, a resounding ode to endurance and resilience from a veteran group that refuses to rest on their considerable laurels. Working out of Sputnik Sound in Nashville with GRAMMY-winning producer Vance Powell, the resulting album boasts all the hallmarks of a classic Old 97’s record (sex and booze, laughter and tears, poetry and blasphemy). It also showcases a newfound perspective in its writing and craftsmanship, a maturity and appreciation that can only come with age and experience. Perhaps the band is growing up; maybe they’re just getting started. Either way, Old 97’s have never been happier to be alive.
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Old 97’s return with Twelfth, their aptly titled 12th studio album, recorded this spring in Nashville, Tennessee between a tornado and a pandemic. Loose and raw, the record is an ecstatic celebration of survival, a resounding ode to endurance and resilience from a veteran group that refuses to rest on their considerable laurels. Working out of Sputnik Sound in Nashville with GRAMMY-winning producer Vance Powell, the resulting album boasts all the hallmarks of a classic Old 97’s record (sex and booze, laughter and tears, poetry and blasphemy). It also showcases a newfound perspective in its writing and craftsmanship, a maturity and appreciation that can only come with age and experience. Perhaps the band is growing up; maybe they’re just getting started. Either way, Old 97’s have never been happier to be alive.
Out of stock? Get notified when this item is restocked.
Of course it's a great album - it's the Old 97's. As I've said before, they've never put out a disappointing album, and that streak has certainly continued. Most bands that have been around as long as they have inevitably heard reactions along the lines of "well, it's OK, but it's not as good as the old stuff," but I can honestly say "Twelfth" deserves a spot among the guys' very best work. The three raucous pre-album releases -- "The Dropouts," "Bottle Rocket Baby" and "Turn Off the TV" -- will be the crowd-pleasers in concert, but softer songs such "Belmont Hotel" and the Murry Hammond-sung "Why Don't We Ever Say We're Sorry" also fit perfectly on the album and show a band not afraid to embrace its tender side. And I challenge any band to write a more clever and fun love song than "I Like You Better." It takes a lot for this life-long Philadelphia Eagles fan to willingly seek out a photo of Roger Staubach, but this purchase was definitely worth it.
Dylan Feese
August 31, 2020
A record that fits perfectly in the arc from Most Messed Up to now, but could’ve been the album that came between Fight Songs and Satellite Rides. Yes, it’s classic ‘97’s, but they also traverse fresh soundscapes that put it on the cusp of a new era. The Dropouts easily wins the Top Earworm Prize and Why Don’t We Ever Say We’re Sorry wins the Why Haven’t They Done This Before Prize.