Son Volt

Having essentially fathered modern alt-country in the early '90s alongside Jeff Tweedy in Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar perhaps earned the right to make a few albums on autopilot—a right that he exercised during the stretch following Son Volt's still-relevant 1995 debut, Trace. The Search takes more songwriting risks than its four predecessors and, despite some uneven results, marks a revitalization for Farrar and his revamped lineup.

After a somber and lyrically repetitive opener ("Slow Hearse"), Farrar lets the sun shine by way of a jaunty Memphis horn section on "The Picture." "Satellite" and "Automatic Society" are vigorous bar-room rockers that shelve the twang in favor of organ and grimy electric guitar. The canned synthesizer crescendo of "Underground Dream" doesn't resonate, however, and the otherwise poignant piano ballad "Adrenaline and Heresy" is undermined by an awkwardly peppy closing and more over-repetition on the lyric sheet.

Son Volt's greatest asset remains Farrar's weathered baritone and his blue-collar sympathies, which are satisfyingly demonstrated on The Search's two standout tracks, "Methamphetamine" and "Highways and Cigarettes." But Farrar isn't going it alone; both tracks feature expressive pedal steel playing by Eric Heywood, and Shannon McNally provides the perfect vocal counterpart on "Highways."

- Adam McKibbin
03.07.07

When Jay Farrar resurrected the sound and approach (if not the personnel) of Son Volt for the 2005 album Okemah and the Melody of Riot, it was a welcome return to what Farrar does best after the poorly focused meanderings of much of his solo work. But while embracing the Son Volt handle energized his muse on Okemah, the second album from Son Volt 2.0, The Search, suggests it has also given him a clearer vision in his search for new sonic territory. The melodic textures of The Search are very much in the mode of Son Volt's early work, but Farrar has offered a few noticeable change-ups in how he approaches the material, most noticeably the addition of Derry Deborja on keyboards, whose washes of organ and piano add new colors to the band's palate. Farrar also takes a few other chances here that pay off, particularly with the punchy soul horns on "The Picture," and though it remains clear that Farrar is in charge of this band, The Search finds this lineup of Son Volt growing into a sound of their own, with the rhythm section of Andrew DuPlantis and Dave Bryson sounding more comfortable but also lending a stronger backbone on the more rocking material (especially the title track) and Brad Rice given more room to blend his guitar work with Farrar's Neil Young-influenced leads. And while Farrar isn't likely to get ever over his shyness about direct declarative statements in his lyrics, like Okemah The Search is clearly informed by the political and social malaise of America under George W. Bush, and Farrar's compassionate anger on "Satellite," "Adrenaline and Heresy," and the title tune is bracing and powerful. In their original incarnation, Son Volt made a brilliant debut and followed it up with a genuine disappointment, but the second time around, Farrar has followed strength with strength, and The Search is a potent reminder of why Farrar was and is one of the watershed artists of the alt-country movement. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide