The 13th studio album from Old 97s arose from what vocalist/guitarist Rhett Miller refers to as a de-evolution. As much as I want us to calm down and grow up, the songs that felt right for this record were mostly big and loud and brutal and dirty. Produced by Tucker Martine and featuring appearances from Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5) American Primitive is gloriously rowdy, revealing a band more attuned than ever to the raw, reckless energy of timeless rock-and-roll.