Universal Favorite was released by Rounder Records on March 3, 2017. It is a solo, unaccompanied record: according to the liner notes Noam Pikelny played every instrument, and for the first time on one of his albums he also sings. Besides banjo he plays guitar, and the tracks were recorded live in the studio. His Punch Brothers bandmate Gabe Witcher produced it.
About half the program is original, including “Waveland,” named for the street address of Wrigley Field. “Folk Bloodbath,” sung by Pikelny, is a long roll-call of outlaws and n’er-do-wells of American music. The covers include Elliott Smith’s “Bye” and Roger Miller’s “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’ (But I’ll Be a Long Time Gone),” and the traditional “Old Banjo” and “Sweet Sunny South,” the latter played on guitar and sung. It was mixed at Barefoot Recording Studio B in Los Angeles and at The Groove Palace in Nashville.
Tracklist
- 1 Waveland 2:59
- 2 Old Banjo 3:27
- 3 Sugar Maple 3:56
- 4 Folk Bloodbath 6:05
- 5 Hen Of The Woods 3:14
- 6 My Tears Don’t Show 2:30
- 7 The Great Falls 3:29
- 8 Moretown Hop 4:32
- 9 Sweet Sunny South alt version 3:56
- 10 Redbud 3:24
- 11 Bye 1:44
- 12 I’ve Been A Long Time Leavin' (But I’ll Be A Long Time Gone) 2:49
