Additional personnel: Exene Cervenkova (vocals); John Rauhouse (pedal steel, banjo); Wally Gagel (piano, Mellotron, percussion).

Recorded at Village Productions, Tornillo, Texas.

Personnel: Rhett Miller (vocals, guitar); Murry Hammond (vocals, bass guitar); Exene Cervenka (vocals); Ken Bethea (guitar); Wally Gagel (piano, Mellotron, percussion); Philip Peeples (drums, percussion).

Audio Mixer: Wally Gagel.

Recording information: Village Productions, Tornillo, TX.

Photographers: Chris Gorman; Danny Clinch.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Murry Hammond; Rhett Miller; Carl Plaster.

Serving as the ideal apex between the Old 97's' Texas twang and smart pop fascinations, Too Far to Care is instantly catchy and endearing, channeling heartbreaking desert soul and punk-fueled swagger all at the same time. Chief songwriter Rhett Miller turns a phrase like a doorknob and opens doors to dusty barrooms and tattered bedrooms, both containing the same boozy characters in various states of emotional undress. The initial blast of "Timebomb" carries through the first three songs, relenting finally in the breathy croon of "Salome," accented warmly by bassist Murry Hammond's light harmonies and guitarist Ken Bethea's airy tremolo-heavy guitar. Other highlights include the high-speed chase of "Melt Show," the reckless surge of "House That Used to Be," and their confident re-recording of "Big Brown Eyes" (originally appearing on their 1995 album Wreck Your Life). Throughout the album, Miller's swooning howl aches with too many miles on the road and too many lonely nights -- familiar topics to be sure, but he still manages to tackle them like he invented heartache. The curse of Old 97's may be that country fans consider it too rock & roll, and rock fans can't get past the twang, but for those who dip both feet into these streams, it really doesn't get any better than this band and this album. ~ Zac Johnson

The Old 97's make their jump to the majors on their second release without sacrificing any of their fire. Though they're lumped with the country-rock revivalists, they owe more to the punk-inflected sound of Mekons offshoot/former labelmates the Waco Brothers than to the Flying Burrito Brothers. Instead of relying on traditional country instrumentation, their sound is based on a foundation of fierce electric guitars and ape-with-a-stick drumming. The ferocity of their attack keeps the country cliches they occasionally revive from sounding hackneyed.

The urgency and restlessness of songs like "Timebomb" and "Niteclub" share a common bond with the gotta-get-outta-here rebel spirit of the Clash's underdog anthems. The band's cowpunk roots show most clearly on "Four Leaf Clover," a duet with X's Exene Cervenka that will take you back to the days when it still seemed like Jason & The Scorchers could change the world.