"Old 97's - Satellite Rides"

The Old 97's fifth album, Satellite Rides, picks up where Fight Songs left off. There's less twange to the vocals, less angst to the lyrics, and tighter music than their previous efforts, but the album somehow fails to every really catch on.

Musically, Satellite Rides is an exceptionally tight, crafty album. The tunes are well-excuted, the instrumentation is spot-on, and the beats and tempos are more rock-pop than country. These are tuneful, well-made pop songs with just enough edge and bounce to them to keep your toes tapping along.

Lyrically, the album falls a little flat compared to previous efforts. Few of the songs contain the Old 97's trademark heartbreak, and most of the wit seems a bit too studied and forced. Most of the songs sound like the Old 97's trying to imitate the Old 97's, and they only seem to really gel a few times.

Those few times are exceptional songs, though. "Question" is a wonderful acoustic ballad that isn't nearly long enough; "Am I Too Late" shuffles and skitters like the best stuff from Too Far To Care; and "Up the Devil's Pay" is an excellent tune with a foreboding feel to it in both the lyrics and the tune. Most of the rest of the songs are good, with great hooks and melodies and bouncy, energetic tunes, but by the end of the album, most of the songs just sort of run together, and you're left with an overall sense that you just listened to a disc where most of the songs sort of ran together and felt the same. The songs are by no means bad, just not entirely memorable.

The best part of the album, really, was the six-song bonus disc that came with it. The disc contained five live performances--"Great Barrier Reef," "Victoria," "Nineteen," "Time Bomb," and "Valentine"--and a studio demo cut for Satellite Rides called "Singular." That "Singular" was not included on the album proper is rather sad, since it was as good if not better than most of the songs which made the record.

Ultimately, Satellite Rides is a decent if unremarkable album from the Old 97's. It's a solid effort, full of great melodies and a few memorable songs, but the overall feel of the album leaves something to be desired.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: Old 97's, "Question"