Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling, Jan 31 2020

As always raising the bar high with visceral songwriting from Patterson Hood on the American situation.
Incredible

 

Am looking forward to listening to it today.

 

Listening now on Spotify. Very good (and of course timely). Almost all Patterson and little Cooley.

Interested what people think about the vinyl (will pick it up to support this great band).

Need to get tickets to see them in Philly next month.

 

Sounds amazing. Patterson has said in interviews that, while they've always been particular about their recording and mastering, this was their first attempt for a wider, nuanced sound: Paraphrasing him one interview, they wanted a wide stereo almost cinematic sound, as opposed to past efforts which were meant to be punchier and almost mono.
And I'm not a huge colored vinyl fan, but the "marble sky" vinyl available through the band's website is gorgeous. I'll be surprised if this isn't my favorite of the year.

 

Excited to hear this later. Got into them over the last few years.

 

Vinyl has arrived. Beautiful black. The lyric book was a nice surprise. Good to see Wes Freed art on its back cover.

 

American Band/The Unraveling is their best 2 album run since Decoration Day/The Dirty South. The current lineup is as good live as any lineup in the band’s history. The Isbell years were special, but living on the edge of a razor blade had its downside too. These days DBT are the best live band in the world.

 

Cooley is kind of MIA, but Grievance Merchants is one of best songs he’s ever written.

The sequencing of the record is impressive. It goes from the recent in your face political stuff to an utterly apocalyptic trifecta at the end with Babies in Cages/Grievance Merchants/Awaiting Resurrection

 

First listen all the way through. Sobering is my one word thought. My two initial favorites are Rosemary and Grievance.

 

Apparently Cooley is going through some writer's block right now but Hood is on fire.

 

Listening to the hi-res on Qobuz.... a few songs in... so far, whew... it’s a corker!

I have been a on and off Drive-By guy for the last several years but each time I come back, I appreciate them a bit more.

Interesting art work for the cover ——— so used to seeing the animated covers, I did a double take at first.

 

too little of Cooley this time, such a pity. His Grievance merchants steal the show though

 

Armageddon’s Back In Town was a great choice for an early single. It's probably my favorite track on the album.

Cooley only having two songs is a disappointment, especially since his vocal is so buried in the mix on Slow Ride Argument that it's hard to tell if we get any classic Cooley turning of a phrase moments.

This album has more energy than American Band, which is a positive. I probably won't return to this one or the previous one like I do with Decoration Day or Dirty South.

Cooley may have writers block, and that's a shame because nobody turns a phrase like he does, however Patterson (as great as his lyrics are) is getting close to being a one trick pony on these recent albums. He has had great takes and great songs about a wide variety of topics over the years, but lately it's been a pretty narrow focus. This felt more like a Patterson Hood solo album featuring Mike Cooley than a DBT album.

I know they have always had songs that were political and social commentary, but they also had fun story songs. Where did those go? Those have been lacking in the last two albums. I know they are reflecting on the current times, but sometimes I want an escape from the nightly news and they just aren't bringing that to these last two albums. Where are the "Sink Hole"'s and "Marry Me"'s? I think they have lost a little of the balance between the serious and the absurd that they used to do so well. I know others will disagree and think we need these serious commentaries for these crazy times, and we do, but we also need some fun mixed in.

 

I like the gentle strings (cello mainly) that are on a couple of songs. The opener, Rosemary With A Bible And A Gun, reminds me of the first track on Brighter..., Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife.

 

I like this a lot. Only two songs from Cooley but they are very strong. I like the production as well, supports the arrangements very nicely. Overall a very dark album but not without empathy which gives it its spirit imo.

 

I’m LOVING this record! Unfortunately, the colored vinyl is off centered, unlistenable as it gets to the center. Ugh!!! Vinyl sucks sometimes. Can anyone with the black vinyl report if it’s centered?

 

Also, it’s noisy. Too bad, I really love the album. I may use it as a beautiful marble colored frisbee.

 

My black copy is fine - centered OK, I think, although I didn't specifically look, and almost zero surface noise. Yet to be cleaned though.

 

“you can’t tell the rabbit from the hat”. !!

 

American Songwriter album review:
Drive-By Truckers Release Best Yet With ‘The Unraveling’ | American Songwriter

 

Grade A from the Lincoln Journal Star:
Album Review: With 'The Unraveling,' Drive-By Truckers deliver searing protest album

 

Greg Kot at the Chicago Tribune:
Drive By Truckers review: A chronicle of personal and political ‘Unraveling’

 

Love this band and love this album. Can’t wait to see them again in March

 

3.5 stars from RS (while actual review seems to make it out as higher than that):
Drive-By Truckers Channel Their Disgust With Trump's America on 'The Unraveling'

 

Just have been listening on headphones. Awaiting Resurrection is almost overwhelming in intensity.