Jay Farrar
Sebastopol

THE REVIEW

The album produced by Jay Farrar himself and John Agnello comes after the temporary breakup of Son Volt. It's 2001, and while his former Uncle Tupelo bandmate Jeff Tweedy is about to release his masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the good Farrar surrounds himself with a small group of friends (including Steve Drozd of the Flaming Lips) for his solo debut. Let's get to the details: Feel Free opens the proceedings, a beautiful ballad supported by our man's deep voice, electric guitar, and keyboards enrich the song. Next is Clear Day Thunder, where the tempo picks up, the track is rock, but the arrangement blends modern and classic in perfect balance. It's time for Voodoo Candle, another ballad with a beautiful melody. The next track, Barstow, embellished by the presence of the couple Gillian Welch - David Rawlings, is faithful to tradition and evokes the best Neil Young. Damn Shame is influenced by blues, Damaged Son is a ballad with acoustic guitar, bass, and I believe a melodic style, following the same pattern as the subsequent Dead Promises. Feed Kill Chain is, in my opinion, one of the less successful tracks, but the almost pop Make it Alright lifts the album, with the concluding Direction with a nice sax and Vitamins following a similar line. Worth noting is the country blues Outside the Door with guest Kelly Joe Phelps on slide guitar.