The revived Son Volt has regained its creative footing with 2005's confident Okemah and the Melody of Riot. After the original members were unable to reach an agreement on the terms of a reunion, Farrar put together a new version of Son Volt in 2004. After a strong initial showing with 1995's Trace, the original Son Volt lineup released two more records before going on permanent hiatus in 1999. Jeff Tweedy would steer his post-Uncle Tupelo group Wilco towards more adventurous sonic territory - and greater critical and commercial success - in a move that has sharply divided fans.įarrar has released albums under his own name and the Son Volt nameplate, though there is little continuity in supporting band members. Son Volt is often considered the closest continuance of Uncle Tupelo's Alt-country/Americana sound and musical legacy. The group's members lived in Minneapolis, St Louis, and New Orleans at the time. Son Volt formed after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo, owing to the simmering creative differences between songwriters Farrar and Jeff Tweedy. Farrar is the only original member remaining in the band. The band currently consists of Jay Farrar (vocals, guitar), Chris Masterson (guitar), Andrew Duplantis (bass, vocals), Mark Spencer (keyboards) and Dave Bryson (drums). Read Full Bio Son Volt is an alternative country group which formed in 1994 in St. Son Volt is an alternative country group which formed in 1994 in St. The focus is not on fitting in, but rather on finding the essence of reality It’s not to belong but it’s the center of the truth There are significant potential outcomes in either direction Hoping for a chance to escape with someoneīy existing in this manner, we are creating our lives Our mourning has passed, but we still linger The conditions are subject to arbitrary circumstance There is a shared connection that remains consistentĭespite instability, we remain steadfast in our beliefs The situation cannot improve nor will it worsen ‘Cause it can’t go wrong, we can’t go right We have exhausted all options and can no longer act We attempted to protect ourselves but continued living despite itĮveryone else was making an effort, and all of it was genuineĬhanges in our lives led us to understand A pity really as Farrar’s words and concerns are judicious.We tried to guard but stayed through life While ‘Lady Liberty’, not by any means, fast paced, can offer up a decent trot, ‘Rebel Girl’ just tends to plod along. However, elsewhere there’s a lack of vitality as Farrar’s familiar voice rarely burns and there’s little variety in the tempos. There’s a strong opening number in the shape of ‘While Rome Burns’, another stab at the moneymen in charge and ‘Holding Your Own’ features some fine playing especially from Mark Spencer on lap steel. They say these children they too must go but their home is here, not Mexico.” It’s a bleak song with only acoustic guitar, accordion and occasional percussion adorning it and it’s the most moving number here. “They say I’m a criminal, that’s what they say, my children born, in the USA. Here Farrar sings of a Mexican immigrant living in Monterey whose ten years of hard graft and honest work counts for nothing. ‘The 99’ is a vocally scathing take down of the corporate nightmare and rampant capitalism with Farrar noting, “the 99 per cent have been taken for a ride” while on ‘Lady Liberty’ he sings, “Lady Liberty’s tears, may you wash away the prejudice.” It’s noteworthy that several of the album’s songs were recorded at the Woody Guthrie Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma as Guthrie does come to mind especially on the closing song ‘The Symbol’. With the finger pointing kept to a minimum it’s those most affected by the political climate who are championed here. ‘Union’ is not a protest album, there are no street fighting anthems here and the names of the guilty are not mentioned, but when he sings, “Proud to serve but not this president,” on ‘Reality Winner’, it’s not hard to guess his inner thoughts even though the song is ostensibly about a whistleblower jailed for leaking classified documents. On ‘Union’ that changes as he here turns to topical concerns, setting out what is essentially his state of the union address. While Jay Farrar might be considered as being pretty grounded when it comes to singing about familiar folk themes he’s never been a political writer.
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