ROUTES & BRANCHES
featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
July 29, 2021
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
Can an artist be embraced as a co-founder of an entire genre, but remain underappreciated? More to the point, can an artist have an immediately recognizable sound, yet continue to create relevant, forward-moving music? For an answer to these questions and more, see Jay Farrar and Son Volt. Behind the indelible one-two-three opening volley of Trace (95), Straightaways (97) and Wide Swing Tremolo (98), Farrar & co. defined themselves against the groundbreaking work of Uncle Tupelo. Following some noteworthy solo and collaborative work, and with the inception of his own Transmit Sound label, Son Volt was reformed for 2005's folk-inspired Okemah and the Melody of Riot. The past fifteen years have witnessed evolutions in the band's membership, but records like American Central Dust (09) and the socio-political minded Union (19) have documented both Farrar's reliability and his commitment to stylistic evolution that bring us to Electro Melodier (Transmit Sound, July 30).
Jay Farrar set forth to devote Son Volt's tenth studio record to the music of his youth, before the pandemic interfered. More specifically, Electro Melodier shifts its focus to the state of our world, though it rarely names names. Titled after a honky-tonk reportedly frequented by Hank Williams, "Arkey Blue" rides a bluesy electric guitar line into a piano-led reflection on our snowballing damage to the planet. It's alright, he intones in his familiar stoic delivery, the worst will soon be over / Let the rhythm rise like a banner / With more sorrow than anger. While he doesn't mince words, Farrar doesn't spend time pointing an accusing finger or shaming the instigators. "The Globe" is offered in two formats, one more stripped back and the other indulging the band a bit more. Adding pulses of organ to stabbing electric guitar, the writer assumes a reporterly voice as protesters take to the streets: You can see it on the street / Pushing back at authority.
While today's Son Volt boasts a different lineup than their classic sessions, Farrar fronts a band that has supported him at least since 2019's Union, if not longer. Onetime Blood Oranges member Mark Spencer and bassist Andrew DuPlantis both contributed to Okemah, and guitarist Chris Frame and drummer Mark Patterson are more recent additions. With its powerful layered guitars, "Reverie" is pure Son Volt that will warm the hearts of longtime listeners. Farrar's lyrics are typically impressionistic, but identify Electro Melodier as an album born from this moment: The system grinds dreams to dirt / But the truth walks naked upon the earth.
After years of cycling from writing to recording to touring and returning to the studio. the pandemic year left Jay Farrar with more time to devote to his craftsmanship, more attention to direct on his lyrics. This lends a spark and a poetry to songs like "Diamonds and Cigarettes": We've thought the same thoughts of the soul / With books and songs we've lived on the open road. Laura Cantrell makes a rare guest appearance, contributing a vocal that perfectly compliments Farrar. "Sweet Refrain" and "Levee On Down" present Son Volt in a more melodic, country-folk light. The latter is a largely acoustic reflection on the Trail of Tears as perpetrated by Andrew Jackson.
As the title attests, "Living in the USA" might be dangerous in less skilled hands, leading to jingoism or sloppy irony. Farrar employs the phrase in a Guthrie-esque progressively patriotic call: Power invested in people / Let the idea shine. Another of the record's strongest achievements, the song grows from an acoustic strum to a propulsive anthem worthy of Springsteen (though it's 100% Farrar): Where's the heart from days of old / Where's the empathy / Where's the soul?
More than a quarter century after their 1995 debut (and three decades after the Uncle Tupelo record that is widely identified as birthing a musical movement), Son Volt has admirably avoided disappearing behind their legacy. Jay Farrar has grown and evolved as a writer, incorporating spot-on social commentary but always in service of his folk-rock vision. The tenth LP sounds like Son Volt, but Electro Melodier generates an electric spark missing from bands half their vintage. And while countless acts in our kind of music owe their existence to Farrar's work, absolutely nobody sounds like Son Volt.
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This space typically features five forthcoming projects that have been enthusiastically added to A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster. Five records that stand out among several others that might have been added. This week's whittling proved more challenging than most, with a promising parade of albums added to the page. We can't ignore the week's biggest drop, Sturgill Simpson's third collection with his world class bluegrass outfit. Ballad of Dood & Juanita is set for an August 20 release (High Top Mt). A pair of singer-songwriters, Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers (calling themselves Jackson + Sellers) are collaborating for their next project. Expect Breaking Point to appear wherever music matters on October 22 via Anti. Dave Hause's fifth solo record is produced by Will Hoge, and features contributions from a wealth of talent, from Brandi Carlile to Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton and more. Soundly has given Blood Harmony an October 22 street date. Hayes Carll's eighth studio album is co-produced with his spouse, Allison Moorer. You Get It All has been slated for an October 29 debut (Dualtone). Finally, add buzzworthy country singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson to your Oh Boy scorecard. She'll be sharing her American Siren on October 29. Oh, and one more. I've been eagerly anticipating Highway Butterfly: Songs of Neal Casal since I first caught wind of the tribute several months ago. The generous 3-CD box has been given a November 12 release (Neal Casa Music Foundation), and boasts contributions from Jaime Wyatt, Hiss Golden Messenger, Steve Earle and many more.
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