Son Volt - “American Central Dust”

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Reviewed By Tim Webb

One half of the now defunct alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo, (the other half being Wilco), Son Volt continues to make alt-country that’s more country than alt with careening steel pedal  melodies, dusty pianos, and twangy acoustic guitars. The album is a slow-burner brimming with blissful mellowness and is hummable after just one listen. Jay Farrar’s talk-croon-sing delivery supplies unveiled lyrics with allusions to Mick Jagger snorting his father’s ashes, the Bush administration, and the infamous shipwreck disaster Sultana. Though Farrar’s simplistic lyrics leaves you longing for abstractions, there’s a tranquil comfort in the way he sounds like an old friend there to keep you company on a warm summer night.