Old 97's succeed as musical boundaries are breached
By LAURA KELLY
Scene Music Critic
If the Old 97's are trying to define themselves with a single album, the eclectic Satellite Rides has accomplished exactly what they wanted.
Their country/rock/British Invasion/pop sound bounces on every track, shifting styles and dynamics even within the songs themselves. From first listen, it's clear the four boys from Dallas are playing more smoothly than ever, and still managing to keep their tunes to the quick radio-length bites that have become their signature.
Several tracks on Satellite Rides leap out as instant singles, more traditional rock or pop songs that could become fast favorites. "King of All The World" is a happy, sing-along tune, with some of Rhett Miller and Ken Bethea's hardest guitar work. The catchy "Bird in A Cage" has a jumpy beat from Philip Peeples on the drums and a refrain that's guaranteed to stick in your head — "a bird in a hand is worth a bird in a cage is worth a bird on a telephone wire."
Singer/songwriter Miller's mastery of the quirky, quipping one-liner winks at the listener from every song. The sly Casanova of "Rollerskate Skinny" asks his girl, "Do you wanna meet up at the Picwood Bowl/ We can knock nine down and leave one in the hole." But Miller's real talent is condensing the frustrations and celebrations of love into a few brief verses. In "What I Wouldn't Do," he agonizes "I'm in love with you but I kill myself trying to figure out how to do it/ You're on a pedestal/ I'm on the edge of a shelf." And in one of the album's shortest and sweetest tracks, Miller describes the moment of popping the question: "Someday somebody's gonna ask you/ A question that you should say yes to/ Once in your life." Not the sugary fluff of boy bands, but lyrics that are refreshing and simple.
Miller's poetic talent aside, the best part of the album is the true Old 97's sound, their unique blend of country rock. "Up The Devil's Pay" is a perfect example — how many pop bands can begin a melancholy love song with yodeling? While Satellite Rides is full of the twang of steel guitars and Miller's country singer-like wail, this newest release still has a definite rock edge. The guitar entrance on "Book of Poems" is reminiscent of an AC/DC rock ballad opening, but the song then slips in a Cure-like energy. "Weightless" shows the band's spacey side, a slow, trippy song with lyrics like "I reckon heaven is a place where time is non-existent yeah/ and the things that are important, yeah/ don't take any time at all."
Ironically, Satellite Rides sounds like a greatest hits album from this relatively young bar band. Every style and mood the group has tried is featured here, from mournful country western to dark alternative rock to pure bouncy pop. Miller presents some of his best song-writing, and the group's energy on every track reveals an experienced sound.
The addition of a bonus CD that includes six live tracks, including a strong version of the cult favorite "19," makes Satellite Rides a must-have for Old 97's fans.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, March 27, 2001
