Audio By Carbonatix
Son Volt’s recent A Retrospective: 1995-2000 is a must-have for altcountry partisans, but it “isn’t a tombstone,” according to the liner notes. We beg to differ. The first edition of Son Volt, led by ex-Uncle Tupelo member Jay Farrar, is now defunct. In fact Farrar is the sole survivor from that original crew. Okemah and the Melody of Riot is the debut disc from the new Son Volt. But after listening to the awkwardly titled album, you’d swear on a stack of Carter family Bibles that the lineup hasn’t changed a whit. This has always been Farrar’s ship, and that’s not a bad thing.
