Blame It On Gravity, the seventh studio album from Dallas's own Old 97's, returns to vinyl for the first time in over a decade - now pressed on limited-edition Sunflower Marble.
Released May 13, 2008, on New West Records and produced by Salim Nourallah, the album marked a turning point for the band. After the moodier, slower-burning Drag It Up, Old 97's tightened back up, leaning into the punchy, hook-driven power-pop energy that first made 1997's Too Far to Care an alt-country landmark. The result was one of the most acclaimed records of the band's career: it entered the Billboard 200 at No. 85, earned an A- from famed critic Robert Christgau, and prompted NPR's All Things Considered to call it "their best album in seven years, " adding that it was "noticeably more taut and focused than their earlier albums - more delicate, too."
Tracks like "The Fool, " "Dance With Me, " and "Ride" showcase Rhett Miller's sharp, hook-forward songwriting at it's most economical, while the rest of the band - Murry Hammond, Ken Bethea, and Philip Peeples - lock in behind him with the kind of chemistry that only comes from two decades on the road together.
Out of print on vinyl for more than ten years, Blame It On Gravity has remained a favorite among longtime fans and a frequent entry point for new listeners discovering the band's catalog. This Sunflower Marble pressing marks the album's first-ever color vinyl release, giving one of the Old 97's most critically celebrated records the physical edition it's long deserved.
