Cover of 867-5309/Jenny appears

While preparing for its next album, Bracket toured the United States with a variety of acts including NOFX , SNFU , Tilt , the Smoking Popes , MxPx and Everclear . In March 1997, their cover of ” 867-5309/Jenny ” appeared on Before You Were Punk , a tribute album for Vagrant Records . Having already traveled throughout the US, Canada and Europe, the band visited Japan for performances with Husking Bee and Sprocket Wheel in July 1997. Although Bracket had been issuing vinyl on Fat Wreck Chords since 1994, their first studio album for the label didn’t transpire until the September 1997 release of Novelty Forever , co-produced by Ryan Greene and Fat Mike at Motor Studios in San Francisco . With its unconventional chord progressions and harmonized vocals on full display, the album featured noticeably polished production as compared to earlier outings. Album track “Sour” exhibited the band’s keen sense of power pop and was later included on the Physical Fatness compilation in November of that year.