Old 97's: "Every Night is Friday Night (Without You)"

Old 97’s have never really gotten all that much buzz or sustained mainstream success despite a consistent output of solid alt-country/pop over the past fifteen-plus years. It seems the most attention has gone to ladykilling front man Rhett Miller’s three solo albums, the latest of which took the country leanings and raw energy of the Old 97’s and smothered them in a veneer of radio-ready studio polish. Bassist and co-founder Murry Hammond’s 2008 solo album was better, far less popular, and revealed the key Old 97’s dynamic: Hammond’s tendency towards whispering backwoods hymns and dusty country standards balances out Miller’s slick, witty pop. It’s this push and pull between ditsy and melancholy that gives Old 97’s songs their particular nervous charm.

“Every Night is Friday Night (Without You)” is a classic Old 97’s party song in the vein of fan favorites “Big Brown Eyes” and “Time Bomb.” It’s more Miller than Hammond, downplaying that familiar rambling twang in favor of straightforward garage-pop. But Hammond’s melodic bass provides the backdrop to Miller’s sparse, urgent delivery, and the combination makes this humble little track stand out.

The song is short and punchy, and the lyrics, though relatively meaningless, are clever and memorable. Miller sings his lines in short bursts: “When I was young / I was dumb / as a rock / I could not / read a clock.” His voice, characteristically warm, is gruffer than usual, and the raucous chorus stretches his range to a breaking point, giving the song an anxious energy. “Every Night is Friday Night (Without You)” feels refreshingly to the point—especially since, as a fan, I’ll reluctantly admit I’ve become tired of Ken Bethea’s occasionally repetitive rockabilly solos. This one belongs to Murry and Rhett. It’s a good time, sure. But there’s also a hint of sadness sprouting up in those bass notes, catching in Miller’s voice. It makes you wonder why they’d ever want to do it alone.