The Drive-By Truckers’ twelfth studio album, The Unraveling, comes out January 31 on ATO records. The Athens-based band has a 24 year history of deep Southern roots and relentless touring, from the smallest dive-bar stages to theaters and concert halls across North America and Europe. They celebrated and questioned the `duality of the Southern thing’ with what was arguably the peak of their output - Southern Rock Opera (2001), Decoration Day (2003), and The Dirty South (2004) and one of the best live shows on the club circuit. While some only know of them as “that band that Jason Isbell was in,” others have embraced those albums and the rest of their catalog, their live show, and some of the finest songwriting in the last couple decades with a devoted following to a band that represents everything that American rock and roll should be: honest, imperfect, raw, controversial, & in your face.
If I’m being honest, I went into this record with low expectations. My personal arc with DBT peaked over a decade ago and I’ve struggled with the last couple albums, which to me felt tired and lacked the staying power of the music they were releasing in what I consider their prime. Even the live shows I’ve seen have been inconsistent since then (15 times total, in 8 cities across 5 states, but who’s counting?). Still, they’re way up there on the short list (ok, long list) of my favorite bands of all time and I’ve bought everything they’ve released. Every time I left one of those subpar shows disappointed, they absolutely killed it the next time I saw them, restoring my faith. I’ve almost written them off more than once in the past, but I’ve learned over time to always give them another chance.
The new album has an energy and spunk not heard from the Truckers’ with such consistency since The Dirty South, and while they’ve had a few great moments since, they haven’t sounded as inspired or energized as they do here. Singer/guitarist Patterson Hood does most of the heavy lifting on The Unraveling, which has already sparked complaining from the passionate fan base of the Trucker’s other creative force, Mike Cooley, who only sings two of the nine songs. The sing-along chorus of “Slow Ride Argument,” one of the two Cooley songs, and the intro and verses of “Armageddon's Back in Town,” harken back to classic upbeat DBT songs like “Feb 14th” from A Blessing and a Curse (2006). The record grooves where it should, pulls back when appropriate, and turns up right when you’re ready.
As longtime listeners have come to expect, each song is a little slice of modern America: good, bad, and ugly. “21st Century USA” is a good example, set on the pavement of a freeway-side hotel-stripmall where the band had a pit stop between tour dates. They were in Gillette, Wyoming, but with the Applebees, Taco John’s, KFC, AutoZone, and the “Good Time Bar to get your bad swerve on” surrounding them, it could have been anywhere between the coasts, and the struggles Hood witnessed and envisioned that day are the same struggles that most Americans - from all over - are facing.
They’re not shy about diving into political themes either, with titles like “Thoughts and Prayers” and “Babies in Cages.” The former has a great moving beat, some visual and challenging lyrics, and a chord progression that recalls “Two Daughters and A Beautiful Wife” from their last great album, Brighter than Creation’s Dark (2008). The sentiments expressed in these songs are noble and worth questioning, and the tracks succeed on their own merits, but a songwriter with the talent of Patterson Hood could have come up with titles less obvious and easy than overused phrases from political talking points.
The album feels like it was recorded live to tape. It’s got a warm, organic sound, and a flow and swing that comes naturally to a band with this much history. It doesn’t hurt that the current lineup is the longest they’ve had, and with long-time Truckers’ producer David Barbe at the helm, it sounds every bit like a DBT record. But most importantly, for the first time in a while, this record feels inspired and relevant. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that spirit back in the mix, and glad to be drawn back to some new music from the Truckers’ music again. I’ll always give them another chance.
The Unraveling is good, honest, guitar-driven, American rock and roll made by guys doing their best to write real songs in an attempt to figure out the complicated people, situations, politics and struggles of this country, and ultimately their own role in it all. Pick it up today at record stores everywhere or stream/download it at the service of your choice.
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos.
www.thetucos.com
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