Old 97s: Blame It On Gravity

Old 97s: Blame It On Gravity I'm not a big alt-country guy, but something about the Old 97s has always appealed to me. Their seventh studio album, Blame It On Gravity, is their first since releasing their greatest hits album in 2006. Although any fan of the band would probably tell you they are an alt-country band, the band describes themselves as a rock band. It kind of makes sense. When I think alt-country I think Ryan Adams or Lambchop. Compared to those bands, the Old 97s seem like the punk rock version of alt-country. The Old 97s play their music loud and fast for the most part. They mix in a couple slow acoustic numbers, but for the most part their music is up-tempo. On Blame It On Gravity, they take a couple of chance. "She Loves the Sunset" is a whispy number that sounds like Cake covering Jimmy Buffet. "Dance With Me" is basically a rock tango that could've easily been done by Ricky Martin in the 90s. Overall, Blame It One Gravity does not take too many chance. When you have had a long illustrious career like the Old 97s, you don't need to change much. In this case the status quo sounds just fine to me. Rating: 7.2/10 MP3: Old 97s "She Loves the Sunset"