Son Volt - Wide Swing Tremolo

Son Volt's weary music, especially the deliberate voice and words of frontman Jay Farrar, is a comforting mystery; its suggestive flashes of phrase and image seem every bit as wise as they are inscrutable. On Wide Swing Tremolo, the band's third effort, the band's trademark blend of brooding guitar rock and atmospheric pedal steel is subtly touched up with dissonant harmonica, distorted vocals, and uncharacteristically loping rhythms. At its best, as on the dread fortune-telling of "Medicine Hat," the pulsing sound and dense lyrics reveal a kind of portentous mystery. Farrar obviously labors over his complex and poetic lyrics, but his idiosyncratic phrasing and slurred delivery (although always emotionally affecting) already slightly obscure his messages. Why he would choose to bury what wisdom he has to share in such a thick, unenlightening mix, remains a mystery of a much more infuriating sort. --David Cantwell Amazon.com

Jay moves torwards Okemah

This is my favorite album of the first three done by Son Volt. It moves a little further away from the "country alternative" and towards the rock of Okemah and the Melody Riot (which is Jay's greatest album). "Driving The View" is one of Son Volt's best songs. Jay's lyrics and singing relates an eerie beauty that is hard to describe in words, it is more of a mood than a sound. Like all Son Volt albums, I suggest repeated listenings before coming to a decision on the album. Son Volt records tend to grow on you, while at the same time, revealing nuances each time you listen. I like this album a lot. March 11, 2006

Lethargic, dull album that soured me on Son Volt

I'm a big fan of Uncle Tupelo and thoroughly enjoyed Son Volt's "Trace," so I was looking forward to delving deeper into their catalog with this album. The first time I listened, I liked "Straightface" and "Medicine Hat" a lot, but nothing else left much of an impression. I figured "Wide Swing Tremolo" was one of those albums it takes a few listens to get into. Well, after lots of attempts, I still can't get into it. In fact, the songs seem to get more lethargic and boring with each listen. There's just no life to this album aside from the two tracks I mentioned above. It actually turned me off from exploring the rest of Son Volt's music and Jay Farrar's solo stuff, no matter how great "Trace" is. July 21, 2005

History Will Be Kind (Hallowed Gone Heyday)

This is by far the best Son Volt record. It surpasses both Trace and Straightaways. Farrar has not topped this one yet largly do the fact that Son Volt is no longer his backing band. He moved away from the acoustic country which was so prevalant on the first two and arrived at an amped up wall shatteing groove and sway that sounds like nothing before or since. If you were to make a list of the top five albums of the 90s and this was not on it than you would not have any list at all. Many fans stalled out after Trace, they just could not get past it. Perhaps in twenty years they will be over it enough to realize what they were to stubborn to realize back in 98. History will be kind to this album, it has no equal. October 11, 2004

the end of the road

here is son volt's third record. not the first, not the second, but the third, and that explains it almost entirely. there are a few almost-memorable tracks here (i say "almost" because though i seem to remember some standouts, i don't quite), which is a few better than straightaways'...well, none. a slightly more interesting album, but i'm glad jay jumped ship when he did, cuz this one was sinking. his material improved almost immediately. August 2, 2004

so . . .

. . . so it's not 'trace' or even 'straightaways' and even 'sebastopol' has grown on me more; but buy it used (come on, $4?) if just for "medicine hat" and "flow." oh yeah, and register to vote. September 7, 2003

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