Son Volt's new album, The Search, is more like Jay Farrar's album Terroir Blues than Son Volt's last outing, Okemah and the Melody of Riot. I saw Son Volt when they were touring for Okemah, and I couldn't hear for days after the show, which, like the album, never gave me the chance to breath, since the band's throttle was always pushed down to the floor.
The Search is a much more melodic album, with nuance and complexity. Featuring horns, a pedal steel guitar, and a vocal duo with Shannon McNally on Highways and Cigarettes, the album isn't all bravado. My favorite song on the album is Methamphetamine, with its catchy chorus that mentions my home state of North Carolina.
When compared to Okemah, what I like most about The Search is that Jay Farrar's vocals and lyrics are in the forefront and not buried behind loud guitars and feedback. Farrar's songwriting skills shine brightly, and I'm looking forward to hearing the band live (if they come back this way).
The Search is a much more melodic album, with nuance and complexity. Featuring horns, a pedal steel guitar, and a vocal duo with Shannon McNally on Highways and Cigarettes, the album isn't all bravado. My favorite song on the album is Methamphetamine, with its catchy chorus that mentions my home state of North Carolina.
When compared to Okemah, what I like most about The Search is that Jay Farrar's vocals and lyrics are in the forefront and not buried behind loud guitars and feedback. Farrar's songwriting skills shine brightly, and I'm looking forward to hearing the band live (if they come back this way).
