Old 97's
Be good to each other,
Nathan
This website exists because of readers and supporters. If what you just read made you smile, please consider supporting the website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MUSICAL THESIS PLAYLIST
At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews aren’t about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.
The thesis for “Graveyard Whistling” by Old 97’s hits you like a ton of bricks. It is reactionary and well-thought out. It is, in my opinion, the best album ever produced by this band. It first begins with a reaction to the town you occupy and finding a way to cross the city limits for good. As a kid from a small town in Oklahoma, I can relate to this album with every fiber of my being. In a lot of ways, this album is an anthem for those willing to leave and risk it all chasing something bigger than themselves and where they stand.
Next, this album is a reaction to the joy of being lost. Once you’ve left it all behind, a grand quest begins. For some, this will be judged as endless wandering. Again, as someone who has called Edmond, Kent, Seattle, and North Hollywood home, I can relate to this idea. Questions of settling are tossed my way with the care of a grenade. I sidestep them because in the search I discover myself. I will never be able to find it standing in one place. For some that might work, but not me.
Finally, this album is a reaction to finding the one you love. If we hunt long enough, we eventually find a kindred spirit who views the world as we do. They become our partner in crime and a fellow journeyman. These people can ground us, and/or they can sprinkle courage on our wings. They fulfill needs and desires we have never been able to name. This is true power and makes life worth living. It makes leaving home worth trying. It makes wandering worth doing. It makes life mean something.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
Last month, 397 people read an article on Natetheworld.com. If you were one of them, please consider supporting this website with a monthly gift. Your support means everything and proves to the world that original content still matters.
At the center of every album is a musical thesis and "The Grand Theatre Vol. 2" is no different. This album is an ode to the same country/rock movement for which the Old 97's are famous. In a lot of ways, they own this space and no one does it better. This album also has a supreme ability to analyze the small things. Sure, the big themes of love, friends and loss are there. Hell, they are present in most albums. This band always has a way of breaking down these themes in bite size pieces. Our musical digestive tracts should be more appreciative. Finally, this album is about life and its characters. From beginning to the end, we encounter thousands and thousands of unique people in our lives. Hopefully, we fill that role a time or two ourselves. Each one of these people have a story and most are worthy of being told. The Old 97's have a way of highlighting some of them here. You may not remember their names, but you will hold onto their tales.
Thanks for entering my world,
-Nathan
