Son Volt - American Central Dust Review
Posted by C.A. Bell on 07.07.2009
Son Volt opens a new chapter in their history, but is this verse the same as the first?
Track Listing:
1. Dynamite – (Farrar) 2:49
2. Down to the Wire – (Farrar) 4:19
3. Roll On – (Farrar) 3:10
4. Cocaine and Ashes – (Farrar) 4:31
5. Dust of Daylight – (Farrar) 3:07
6. When the Wheels Don’t Move – (Farrar) 3:21
7. No Turning Back – (Farrar) 3:35
8. Pushed Too Far – (Farrar) 4:25
9. Exiles – (Farrar) 4:22
10. Sultana – (Farrar) 3:48
11. Strength and Doubt – (Farrar) 3:35
12. Jukebox of Steel – (Farrar) 2:56
Label: Rounder Release Date: 07.07.09 Genre: Alternative Country, Traditional American Running Time: 43:54
The Players:
Dave Bryson – Percussion, Drums
Andrew DuPlantis – Bass, Vocals
Jay Farrar – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Chris Masterson – Guitar, Vocals
Mark Spencer – Guitar, Keyboards
Eleanor Whitmore – Strings
It’s an unfortunate fact of life. Since the split of Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar’s careers will forever be intertwined. Son Volt’s debut in 1995, Trace, was extremely well received, but less impressive releases in ’97 and ’98 left critics and fans with the impression that Jay Farrar was a musician that had no interest in growing creatively. In the meantime, Farrar’s ex-bandmate Tweedy began garnering a reputation for experimentation (which exploded with Wilco’s 2002 release, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). As Wilco became bigger and bigger, it was getting a lot harder to find Farrar’s work in the local record store. After the critical and commercial flop of 1998’s Wide Swing Tremolo, Farrar would disband Son Volt to embark on a solo career. Farrar released his first solo album, Sebastopol, in 2001. While the album was a fine work that pushed Farrar out of the alternative country genre, it garnered little attention outside of college radio.
Farrar would reform Son Volt in 2005 and release two fantastic and original albums in Okemah and the Melody of Riot and The Search. But his reputation as a stodgy folkster was hard to break, and neither record made much commercial headway. The lack of sales resulted in Son Volt being dropped from Sony/BMG in 2008. For their new release, American Central Dust, Son Volt would sign with Rounder Records, due to the company's commitment to traditional American genres, like folk and blues. While that sentiment may lead a listener to believe this album is the same old boring country record that Farrar releases every time around, nothing could be further from the truth. With American Central Dust, Son Volt may not be trying to create some unheard sound, but Farrar displays exactly how far he has come as a songwriter and creates one of the absolute musical highlights of 2009 thus far. This album is warm, inviting, and absolutely full of great songs.
American Central Dust finds Son Volt rolling back the louder rock style that they cultivated on Okemah and The Search. But instead of the straight ahead country that one might expect to find, what is left is a carefully crafted environment of laid back songs and cozy ballads. Perhaps the biggest surprise on this album is that Farrar is engaging with the listener. Perhaps my biggest complaint about Farrar’s songwriting in the past is that he at times is so wrapped up in his own introspection, that the audience often feels less like a participant in the songs, and more like a helpless bystander. The tracks on American Central Dust are much more open than that. Even Farrar’s vocal style seems more inviting, as he trades the stop-and-start, snarling stanzas for a slower paced, comforting sound. His songwriting has also opened up here, as there are far fewer twisting, deep inside references.
The album's highlights include the opener, “Dynamite”. A simple, country-styled love song, that moves easily across the ear. Here, Farrar sings, ‘this love is like celebrating the 4th of July with dynamite.’ It’s a sentiment that is instantly recognizable, without talking down to the listener. “Cocaine and Ashes” is a rare solo piano track from Farrar, and it is absolutely moving. This is Farrar’s ode to Keith Richards, who Farrar empathetically calls, ‘the same as everyone, just kind of lucky.’ American Central Dust isn’t completely without Farrar’s trademark working class angst, however, as he laments the environmental degradation caused by the false economy of fossil fuels. Yet, even on this track, instead of beating the listener over the head with his message, he delivers it with a steady, head-nodding groove. The album closes strongly with “Jukebox of Steel”, a song that culls Farrar’s famed reminiscent feel along with a message of the world moving forward. You get the distinct feeling here that this is Farrar moving forward too. Jay Farrar’s music may be entrenched in the past, but he will always be moving forward.
The 411: This is Jay Farrar playing at his most comfortable and it absolutely works. My complaints with this album are so small, that they verge on nitpicking. American Central Dust was fantastic on its first listen and is growing on me more with each new listen. I believe it is one of the best albums released so far this year, and is my favorite Son Volt effort released to date.
