Old 97's
Wreck Your Life (1995)

review by: Brandon Copple
Date: 4/4/02

If Johnny Cash fathered a child by Elvis Costello, and the little bastard grew up and started a band, it'd probably sound just like the Old 97's. Listen to "Wreck Your Life" and you'll see what I mean. This is a work of dark comedy that goes careening through barrooms and swerving over two-lane blacktops at a breakneck rockabilly pace carried along by the goofy pathos of Rhett Miller's vocals.

Of course, these guys aren't as silly as they seem. Under the smirking lyrics, there's the battles with booze, drugs, early death (from booze &/or drugs), heartache and generally being a fucked-up misfit. The band is still singing about that stuff today, although they've polished up their act considerably. Here, on the 97's first album, they still sound like a bar band. Which, despite everything I just said, may be why I love it most.