DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

 

On the title track to “Welcome 2 Club XIII,” Drive-By Truckers pay homage to the Muscle Shoals honky-tonk where founding members Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley got their start: a concrete-floored dive lit like a disco, with the nightly promise of penny beer and truly dubious cover bands.

Featuring background vocals from the likes of Margo Price, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, and Mississippi-bred singer/songwriter Schaefer Llana, “Welcome 2 Club XIII” was recorded live with most songs cut in one or two takes, fully harnessing the band’s freewheeling energy.