![]() “I was raised on folk music,” observes Farrar. It’s a tradition he has tapped often both in Son Volt and in Uncle Tupelo. On Union, Farrar taps into folk music’s rich lyrical legacy. “A lot of these songs are songs of turmoil,” says Farrar. And songs such as “The 99,” “While Rome Burns,” and “Lady Liberty” push up the acoustic guitar in the mix to underscore the enduring role of troubadours in troubled times. “Broadsides will be hurled to capture the truth,” sings Farrar on the brooding and blues-driven song that takes its name from the one-page bulletins that used to spread both proclamations and ballads. Others hearken back to the freewheeling poetic melodicism of 1994’s Trace and 1997’s Straightaways. Some tunes offer a powerful return to the ringing lyrical clarity of 2005’s Okemah and the Melody of Riot and 2007’s The Search. But the new record nods to many other mile markers along the band’s 25-year path. ![]() ![]() ![]() The country and blues sounds explored by Son Volt on its last two records (2013’s Honky Tonk and 2017’s Notes of Blue) linger in the grooves of Union. “What can we do to bring our society back together?” “There are so many forces driving our country apart,” observes Farrar. The thirteen new songs written by founder Jay Farrar confront our turbulent politics and articulate the clarity and comfort music can offer in the tumult. On Son Volt’s new record, Union, present and past mingle into strong confluence. ![]()
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