Old 97's: Fight Songs : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Old 97's' mix of back-porch twang and classic-rock crunch on their first three albums earned them the billing "alt-country" -- a tag that the Dallas quartet has outgrown with the eclectic, often genius Fight Songs. Singer and songwriter Rhett Miller loves a pure, earnest melody, and he has an ear for the revelatory juxtaposition: The hummable theme of "What We Talk About" is situated atop a rhythm that's part Mersey beat and part vintage Cuban rumba; "Let the Idiot Speak" uses a ripping and carefree upbeat two-step to chronicle a particularly sour breakup. Nothing is too arty or fussy here, though -- the rhythm section chugs invisibly along, honoring the sloping melodies, keeping the focus on Miller's astringent, carefully drawn lyrics. For his part, Miller sings with a Hank Williams-ish restraint: Even at his most anguished, on the beautifully brooding "Alone So Far," he somehow makes tales of dejection and despair oddly uplifting. (RS 813)

TOM MOON