Son Volt - The Search (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

Son Rising

Gregory C. Wolfe | 03/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of Farrar's work since the days of Tupelo. And i think Farrar has quite a tradition to fulfill everytime he sets down to record. I dont think he asked for it, but somewhere along the line he was given this identity. Tweedy broke out of it big when he launched "Yankee" and "Ghost," and there was a jauggernaut of press that followed the Wilco "Yankee" debacle. Farrar did just the opposite. He released albums but did so in a silent way. It was as if the fans knew something that others did not.

There are Tweedy people and there are Farrar people. That is the way i see it.

For most fans Son Volt doesn't get any better than Trace. For some reason that album has defined Farrar and Co. work. All Son Volt albums have been amazing to me. Listen to Way Down Watson from Straightaways if you need evidence of this. Likewise, "Dead Man's Clothes" from Tremolo is simply brilliant. All three albums are terrific. That was the old Son Volt.

When the band regrouped with new members I was really curious. I was used to the line up of the original. I have seen them play all over the midwest, and i came to like the chemistry. Okemah was not what i expected, but i could not stop listening to it. Although the album didn't hold the weight of any of the previous SV efforts, it was solid and it rocked (i have never used that term before). The guitar work is what is so amazing on that album. I was surprised that the press embraced it so enthusiastically...For a long time Son Volt fan, it sounded like transition. Still, a SV transition is an amazing thing. I spent many Summer nights on my porch with that album.

The ending "world waits for you" was a sign of very great things to come.

Now, this brings me to The Search. What an album. All I can say is Son Volt and Farrar are back in a big way. At this point I think Okemah was a stop on the way to this album, a natural progression from the eclectic sounds of Tremolo, the melancholy of Straightaways, and the traditional songs of Trace. It is 3/6/07, 11am, and I just listened to all tracks and each one is amazing.

If you are like me and have followed Farrar from the beginning, were lost a little with Okemah, don't hesitate here. What an album!

If you pick it up through Itunes there are 7 extra tracks.

"

Classic! BUT BUY IT on iTUNES!

T. Prizer | Atlanta, GA | 03/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jay friggin' Farrar, man. That's all I've been able to say or think about since buying this record a few days ago. How he does it, I haven't a clue. But Farrar has proven once again that he is the most important songwriter in the world today. `The Search' is Farrar's most mature release ever, and it brings together all the elements of his career that we love, often times in the span of just one song. This is a beautiful return to the mysterious poetic of Farrar's earliest writings with Son Volt. The songs exude concern, pain, honesty, heartache, and hope. They may well be Farrar's best batch ever.

I have been moved to chills - near tears - at so many points on this record already that no review can do these songs justice. The emotions that his voice and poetry stir in his listeners are deeper than words can capture. He is a master. That's all there is to it.

"Adrenaline and Heresy" is like a shot to the gut ("She said I still love you/I don't know if I wanna spend the rest of my time with you, the rest of my life with you"). "Beacon Soul" is a melody so unique, so brilliant that it leaves one wondering how in hell it wasn't discovered before. "Underground Dream" features some of Farrar's best lines in a long time ("Had a thought that consumer goods were bad/Like a rat can never beat the wheel/There's a wiretap stealing a nightmare/Shadows laughing and making deals"). "Automatic Society" and "Action" are rock songs that stand up next to anything Farrar's ever done with an electric guitar - just pure rock `n' roll. "L Train" and "Methamphetamine" are classic acoustic Farrar compositions in the melancholy vein that only his voice can fully capture. And his voice...

All this said, PLEASE buy the Deluxe Edition on iTunes. Some of the best tunes on the record are among the eight extra you get from iTunes. DO NOT just go out to a store and buy this record. My only criticism of this recording session for Son Volt (if you can call it criticism) is that Farrar had such an explosion of creativity and prolificacy that he has ended up short-changing the final cut. How in hell the tunes "Coltrane Free" (already one of my favorite Farrar songs of all-time), "Bleed the Line" (super-powerful), "Bicycle Hotel" (another immediate classic, just pure chills...), "Carnival Blues" (could easily have been written for `Trace'), and "Acetone Angels" didn't make the final cut is utterly beyond me. These five tunes are as good as anything Farrar has ever written. I honestly wish he would've kept these from us and saved them for the next full-length release if he felt they didn't work with the 14 he chose for 'The Search.'

So, yeah, do yourself a favor and buy this record. But buy the Deluxe Edition from iTunes. You'll be happy you did.

"

Honest and true

Mark F. Montimurro | Montclair, New Jersey USA | 03/13/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've had a particularly difficult time submitting this review, primarily because I count myself among the fiercely loyal fans of Jay Farrar. I tend to think he can do no wrong; if he decided to take up with the Throat Singers of Tuva, I would most likely buy all their records. But, of course, he's had his missteps in the past, lest we forget the misguided knob-twirling that resulted in the "Space Junk" noise snippets on Terroir Blues and his ability to wear some listeners out with his uniquely monotone drone. The Search is also not without its faults: the album starts out with, yes folks, a funeral dirge. After being lulled into that coma, we're slapped in the face with "The Picture" in all its ill-advised Memphis Horns-style brass section glory. Farrar and company quickly redeem themselves, however, for the rest of the show. At his best, Farrar's music is deeply moving, laced with emotion, rich with Steinbeckian landscapes of desperate journeys, and he interprets all the struggles and hardship with grace and compassion. "Methamphetamine" is the signature statement here, a powerful song that leaves us drained but sympathetic to its subject, a shopworn addict who gets clean but who also knows he might never "be free". One more caveat, this one for all you audiophiles: The Search also suffers from poor sonics, the recording offering very little detail and resolution. It amazes me that modern recording artists could engineer their work without high fidelity in mind. It's as if they assume we're all on iPods anyway, why bother? None of Son Volt's efforts, for that matter, are paragons of production, but again the scale of the subject matter does not lend itself to two-channel perfection. The songs are what really count, and Mr. Farrar serves them up once again honest and true on The Search."

A Beautiful Progression for Jay Farrar

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 05/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I always suspected that Jay Farrar had a masterpiece in him, but the ever-diminishing payoff I experienced with most Son Volt releases left me feeling less and less certain of my conviction. After listening to "The Search" for two solid weeks, I'm fairly convinced that this is the miracle I've been hoping for. As is usual for a Son Volt record, I required multiple listens before the songs began to sink in, but like a cautious friend, the underlying logic of "The Search" slowly started to reveal itself. This album is deeper than most, so it justifies a lot of playtime, and the more I listened, the more I realized that this is a disk you can keep in your player for a few weeks without growing tired of it, or restless.

As a lyricist, Farrar was never one to reveal himself recklessly, but I notice a few shifts in his methods here that aid in conveying his expressive side. First, the lyrics are more poetic than usual, which does not necessarily mean that they are opaque. Depending on the song, Farrar's words veer from the oblique to the direct and literal. For example, on "Action," he sings, "Break up the old drug pound story, Tortured soul wears an ego sleeve. Heavy hearts and heavy hitters, Bards disease finds the killing floor." These words might not ever mean anything literal to me, but they conjure up rich imagery, while the melody deepens their impact. Elsewhere, on "Adrenaline and Heresy," Farrar sings "She said I still love you, I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my time with you," which is as direct a statement as can be made about a failing relationship. Farrar sings these words with a striking sense of resignation that resounds long after the song ends. "Highways and Cigarettes" is also full of literal imagery ("Best to clear the mind with a Mexicali radio station. Keep an eye out for the border patrol, checking for drugs and so called aliens." He's still very self-serious, but the wordy phraseology and energized interplay of the new band adds an element of fun that had been lacking on previous Son Volt projects.

These words might not resound on the page, but "The Search" benefits immensely from Farrar's melodic sense, which appears to have grown suddenly, and significantly. He is no longer limited by the ideas on his palette, and all sorts of textures help the listener to retain interest. A horn section spices up the high-energy romp of `The Picture," while tasteful keyboards add flavor throughout. Interestingly, there also seems to be an abundance of backward-looped guitars to add a spooky, otherworldly feel to songs such as "Slow Hearse" and "Phosphate Skin." It may take some patience to realize it for yourself, but "The Search" is a beautifully constructed work and I'm finally able to say with some certainty that Jay Farrar and Son Volt have created a minor masterpiece. A Tom Ryan"

Dare I say Masterpiece??

E. Porter | Lakewood, Co | 03/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big fan of Okemah...my only critique of Son Volt's last record would be it missing the multi-instrumentation, countryesque vibe of the first lineup. The Boquist Brothers brought alot to the table musically, so Farrar was forced to concentrate more on Son Volt's rock element and of course added his most political lyrics to date...the end result saw the release of the best "protest" record to come out in years.

That brings us to The Search. As far as experimental instrumentation goes..this new record is Jay Farrar's most daring release to date.

Methamphetamine and Highways and Cigarettes grabbed me immediately. Both have Farrar going back to his storytelling ways...Eric Heywood plays some phenomenal pedal steel on them. Shannon McNally adds some angelic vocals to the H & C duet..simply...its a beautiful song. What is it about Farar singing with the ladies that brings out his best? His cover of Rex's Blues with Kelly Willis was also phenomenal. Beacon Soul is one of the best songs on the album. Kind of has a Cemetery Savior feel to it...and incredible lyrics to boot. These songs really remind me of the days of the first lineup...glad to see Jay hasn't completely lost his Alt-Country roots.

A good portion of the bonus tracks are fantastic. Carnival Blues, Exurbia and Bicycle Hotel are outstanding. I think Exurbia was supposed to follow Slow Hearse due to its lyrical content...but for whatever reason Jay left it off of the regular release.

All in All...I think The Search is a fantastic record. It continues to showcase Jay's lyrical brilliance yet completely pushes the envelope as far as musical experimentation goes. Heavy use of the piano and the introduction of the Sitar...gives a couple of the songs a Beatlesque feel. Deborja's keyboard playing mixes quite well in most of the songs. Imho, The rockers like Action and Automatic Society blend in well with the more experimental tunes.

Flat out...This was a downright ballsy record for him to make.

It just might be Son Volt's best work since Trace and Farrar's best since The Slaughter Rule/ThirdShiftGrottoSlack.

GET THE BONUS TRACKS FROM ITUNES!!!!!"

Search - Son Volt :: The Search

CD Details

Synopsis

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews

	Son Volt The Search Genres: Country, Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (14) - Disc #1 Slow Hearse The Picture Action Underground Dream Circadian Rhythm Beacon Soul The Search Adrenaline and Heresy Satellite Automatic Society Methamphetamine L Train Highways and Cigarettes Phosphate Skin flexfield5
3 Larger Image