The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2 [Digipak]

Rating

Album: The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2 [Digipak]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Brown Haired Daughter	More Info...	0:03
2)	I'm a Trainwreck	More Info...	0:03
3)	Perfume	More Info...	0:03
4)	The Actor	More Info...	0:03
5)	No Simple Machine	More Info...	0:03
6)	White Port	More Info...	0:03
7)	Ivy	More Info...	0:04
8)	Manhattan (I'm Done)	More Info...	0:03
9)	Marquita	More Info...	0:01
10)	Bright Spark (See What I Mean)	More Info...	0:02
11)	Visiting Hours	More Info...	0:03
12)	How Lovely All It Was	More Info...	0:04
13)	You Call It Rain	More Info...	0:02

Album: The Grand Theatre, Vol. 2 [Digipak]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Brown Haired Daughter	More Info...	0:03
2)	I'm a Trainwreck	More Info...	0:03
3)	Perfume	More Info...	0:03
4)	The Actor	More Info...	0:03
5)	No Simple Machine	More Info...	0:03
6)	White Port	More Info...	0:03
7)	Ivy	More Info...	0:04
8)	Manhattan (I'm Done)	More Info...	0:03
9)	Marquita	More Info...	0:01
10)	Bright Spark (See What I Mean)	More Info...	0:02
11)	Visiting Hours	More Info...	0:03
12)	How Lovely All It Was	More Info...	0:04
13)	You Call It Rain	More Info...	0:02

Performer Notes

Personnel: Murry Hammond (vocals, guitar, piano, harmonium); Rhett Miller (vocals, guitar); Ken Bethea (guitar); Philip Peeples (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixer: Jim Vollentine.
Recording information: Pleasantry Lane, Dallas, TX (04/29/2010-10/21/2010); The Texas Treefort, Austin, TX (04/29/2010-10/21/2010).
Photographer: Paul Moore .
Originally intended to be a double-album, The Grand Theatre was ultimately split into two halves: 2010's Vol. 1 and its equally tuneful sequel, Vol. 2. The Old 97's have spent years combining the dusty twang of Texas country with the melodic jangle of British pop, but both Grand Theatre albums bring that sound into sharper focus, presenting a band that wears its middle-age with style. On Vol. 2, Rhett Miller serenades would-be lovers ("I'm a Trainwreck"), apologizes to their shocked parents ("Brown Haired Daughter"), and offers up a number of sharply worded character studies ("The Actor," "Ivy"), crooning the lyrics one minute and stumbling his way through boozy cowpunk verses the next. His foil, as always, is bassist Murry Hammond, a songwriter in the traditional Texas mold who tends to sing the band's most country-centric songs. Hammond tries something different on "White Port," though, channeling his inner scallywag while grunting the verses like a wizened Irish sailor. He yodels at the end of the chorus, just for good measure, smartly reminding us that the Old 97's -- transatlantic influences be damned -- are still a Texas band. Vol. 2 shows the full breadth of the group's sound, from the ballads to the rockers to the various gems in between. ~ Andrew Leahey

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.106) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]his second installment places Rhett Miller's articulate, off-the-cuff songs right between the composure of the control room and the looseness of the barroom."

Alternative Press (p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's a clear sequel that continues the character profiles and storylines frontman Rhett Miller created last time around."

Paste (magazine) - "The instrumental 'Marquita' showcases Bethea's jittery guitar work. and Hammond's 'White Port' rollicks along heartily..."

Uncut (magazine) (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The rambunctious, rockabillied 'Bright Spark' and Monkees-inspired 'I'm A Trainwreck' are as potent as anything they've ever recorded."