They Ain’t Just Graveyard Whistling Dixie

The extended solo sojourns of main man Rhett Miller notwithstanding, Old 97’s still manage to pack plenty of visceral energy into each of their ongoing endeavors. That said, they’ve clearly outdone themselves with Graveyard Whistling, a raucous, revved up slab of pure attitude and insurgence. This ought not to come as any surprise of course; ever since their founding nearly 25 years ago, this Dallas based band has provided plenty of alt devotion through each of their 20 releases, a remarkable track record that puts them in the same company as Uncle Tupelo, the Jayhawks, Wilco, Son Volt and every other Americana contender of the past several decades. Still, that doesn’t account for the solid stock of songs the band offer up here. The amiable twang of the sardonic “She Hates Everybody” aside, these are songs with anthemic ambitions, and indeed, the reverberating choruses that ring through “I Don’t Wanna Die In This Town,” “Bad Luck Charm” and “Jesus Loves You” testify to the fact that they’re of the cellphone-waving, air guitar-touting, fist-pumping variety. It’s impossible to hear a pair of party-prepping rockers like Irish Whiskey Pretty Girls” and “Drinkin’ Song” or two tunes such as “Nobody” and “All Who Wander,” both raging rave-ups that could double as spaghetti western soundtracks, and not commit yourself to the dance floor, flush with no greater intention than to let loose some energy. As unabashedly brash and robust as ever, Graveyard Whistling is nothing less than the sound of celebration.