Drive-By Truckers
(New West)
While the Drive-By Truckers have eased off the gas this year to back Booker T. and let front man Patterson Hood do his solo thing, the band has decided to tide fans over with a few leftovers from their most prolific studio period. The material on The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008 largely comes from the time when the band was skillfully juggling three songwriters: Hood, Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell, who left the group in 2007. Although the disc lacks the unintentional narrative cohesiveness that the Truckers' usually achieve, scraps from brilliant albums like Decoration Day and The Dirty South are certainly better than most band b-side collections.
Hood has a couple of his usual riveting life-worn character tales from rural Dixie, including "The Great Car Dealer War" about a guilt-ridden hired arsonist. He also pokes a little fun at a country legend's car accident in the cautionary tale "George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues." "TVA" is a reminder of why the band should miss Isbell, who delivers the stark country ballad with just the right amount of raspy heart.
Four of the Fine Print's 12 tracks are covers. While Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone " would probably have been better left alone, the Truckers give just the right amount of distorted muscle to Tom Petty's "Rebels" and Warren Zevon's "Play It All Night Long," making both easy candidates for end-of-show ass kickers.
Standout Tracks: "TVA," "Play It All Night Long," "The Great Car Dealer War"" JEDD FERRIS
