If you're a fan of "alternative-country" music, you've been saving your money for weeks with tomorrow in mind. The big day is finally here as Tuesday, April 22, brings the release of new albums by two of the genre's titans, the Jayhawks and Son Volt, as well as a double-album re-issue by the up-and-coming Scud Mountain Boys.
For much of the last two years, fans wondered when - or if - they would ever hear from the Jayhawks again. In the summer of 1995, co-founder and chief songwriter Mark Olson departed the group with little explanation, but after a brief period of uncertainty, guitarist Gary Louris, bassist Marc Perlman, and keyboardist Karen Grotberg recruited drummer Tim O'Reagan, second guitarist Kraig Johnson (of Run Westy Run and Golden Smog) and violinist Jessy Greene (The Geraldine Fibbers) and, with producer Brian Paulson, the re-formed and re-energized group headed into a Minneapolis studio and got back to work. The result is "Sound of Lies" (American).
Upon first listen, longtime 'Hawks fans may be startled: This is not a country-rock album. Gone are the Byrds and Burrito Brothers influences, replaced by the Beatles and Big Star. Gone are the pedal steel and Olson's harmonica, replaced by Louris and Johnson's distorted guitars. Gone are the Minnesota prairies and small towns, replaced by Minneapolis' crowded city streets. Gone are Olson and Louris' trademark twangy harmonies - and these can't be replaced.
But after what may be an initial reaction of surprise (or even disappointment), repeated listens reveal this record to be not only daring and different but damn good. Highlights include the rocking "Big Star," the haunting "Haywire," and the spunky "It's Up to You," as well as the album-opening rocker "The Man Who Loved Life," the first single, "Think About It," and the delicate title track.
In the early '90s, another band joined the Jayhawks at the head of the country-rock movement - Uncle Tupelo. Like the Jayhawks, Tupelo went through a breakup when co-leader Jay Farrar parted ways from the group in mid-1994. Like the Jayhawks, the other Tupelo members soldiered on without their lead songwriter, and have found success today as Wilco. But unlike the Jayhawks' departed Mark Olson, Jay Farrar hasn't disappeared. Instead, Farrar formed Son Volt, along with original Tupelo member Mike Heidorn on drums and the 'Hawks fellow Minneapolitans, brothers Dave and Jim Boquist on guitar, bass, fiddle and steel. The band's 1995 debut, "Trace," was met with near-unanimous critical acclaim; it was hands-down the finest album of that year. Tomorrow, Son Volt returns with its sophomore effort, "Straightaways" (Warner Bros.).
Unlike the Jayhawks, Son Volt isn't exploring any new territory - the title of the new record accurately reflects their musical path. Instead, Farrar delves deeper into the themes he explored on "Trace," themes of memory and nostalgia; the impermanence of time and the intricacies of love; the call of the open road.
The thematic content isn't the only thing that recalls "Trace." In fact, the two records are so similar in sound that one wouldn't be inaccurate to refer to "Straightaways" as "Trace 2." Because of this, some argue that Farrar hasn't grown, won't take chances, can't go beyond what he has already done. They will say that he has two musical modes: The uptempo, chugging rocker like the album-opening "Caryatid Easy" and "Picking Up the Signal," and the quiet, folksy introspection of "Left A Slide" and "Last Minute Shakedown." But when you do two things better than anybody else, why change?
Between the recording of the two albums, the band's dedicated tour schedule helped them come together into a tight, cohesive unit. The musicianship, individually great on "Trace," is even better on "Straightaways." Son Volt can now truly be called a great band, not just a collection of fine musicians supporting Farrar.
Overall, "Straightaways" is not only a worthy follow-up to "Trace," but also a fine continuation of Uncle Tupelo's body of work. More than anything, the last three tracks on "Straightaways" recall that band's third release, "March 16-20, 1992," an album dominated by acoustic guitar, banjo, and harmonica and echoing Appalachian mountain music. In fact, "Been Set Free," the next-to-last track on the new record, revisits "Lilli Schull," a traditional murder ballad covered on "March." But where "Lilli Schull" was sung from the point of view of the murderer, "Been Set Free" has Farrar singing as the victim from beyond the grave.
Other memorable songs from "Straightaways" include the album's lead single, "Back Into Your World," which features a Byrds-like, jangling, 12-string lead-guitar line; one of the sweetest but most sorrowful songs Farrar has ever penned, "Left A Slide;" and the dark eulogy of the album-closing "Way Down Watson."
Tomorrow's third major release in the country-rock genre comes courtesy of the Scud Mountain Boys, in the form of a double-CD re-issue of their first two long out-of-print releases, "Pine Box" and "Dance the Night Away." The re-issue, titled "The Early Year" (Sub Pop), shows the band's development prior to the recording of last year's "Massachusetts." Like "Massachusetts," the albums that comprise "The Early Year" are melancholy and quiet, even sleepy. Unfortunately, they don't rise above the confines of their small sound here like they do on "Massachusetts." Most of the original songs sound the same; the band doesn't take any chances. Even their cover songs are uniformly bland, standard fare like "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" and "Wichita Lineman." For the cost of this double-disc, you'd be much better off buying both The Jayhawks and Son Volt.
Son Volt (from left): Dave Boquist, Jim Boquist, Mike Heidorn and Jay Farrar.