“Old 97’s may have begun their days injecting their ragged, sandy alt-country with frenetic punk energy, but on this, their first record in four years, the focus is squarely on hooks, pop crunch and a sense of fun not always apparent in their recent records. “Blame It on Gravity” is a fevered, carbonated affair, especially on the jingly “No Baby I,” the extremely sticky “My Two Feet” and opener “The Fool,” which also benefits from a solid helping of Rhett Miller’s tricky, narrative wordplay. But the band scores well on the slow numbers too—”Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue” is a near-perfect country weeper for a summer’s night (penned by bassist Murry Hammond, no less). Comfortable and confident all the way through, and a highly welcomed return. —Jeff Vrabel”
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