[Over the next few weeks, we'll be
presenting our
favorite local songs of the year, counting down from No. 25 to No. 1,
one track a day. Today, we take an in-depth look at song No. 8 on the
list -- and, please, feel free to click after the jump to hear a stream of the track. Also
after the jump, check out songs Nos. 50-9 in the Top 50 list that will
update as it grows...]
After a handful of albums in which the Old 97's toyed perhaps a little too intently with the full-on pop side of their pop-leaning tunes, the band finally released an album this year that brought them back to what they do best -- hard-charging, hootin'-and-hollerin'-worthy alt-country.
The Grand Theatre, Vol. 1, released for New West in early October, is chock full of cuts that fit that description, from the impossible-to-remove-from-your-head "Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)" to the band's most progressive song to date, "Please Hold On While The Train Is Moving."
But on an album filled with the best songs the band has released in years -- which, in turn, pretty much makes the disc the undisputed best release that the legendary local band has released in a decade -- one song in particular stands out.
Stream: Old 97's -- "The Magician