''The Search'' is the fifth studio album by the band
Son Volt
Son Volt is an American rock band formed in 1994 by Jay Farrar after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The band's current line-up consists of Farrar (vocals, guitar), Andrew DuPlantis (bass guitar), John Horton (guitar), Mark Patterson (drums), and Ma ...
. It was released March 6, 2007.
Reception
The album has a score of 65 out of 100 from
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
[ '']Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' gave the album a very favorable review and called it "Son Volt 2.0, a modern, mature album that might be the group's best yet."[ '']The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' gave it a positive review and called it "A collection of highly listenable roots-rock tunes that stray little from its longtime formula." ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' also gave it a positive review and said, "Simple but effective sonic details — a chirpy horn arrangement, a reverse-looped guitar part — prevent “The Search” from feeling either preachy or repetitive."The New York Times review
/ref> Other reviews are pretty average, mixed, or negative: '' Q'' gave it three stars out of five and said it "revisits the social commentary of Farrar's old band."[ '']Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'', however, gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five and said that the album "lacks the spark of the band's classic catalog material."[ '']Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' gave it one-and-a-half stars out of five and stated: "The saggy country-rock complaints about corporatization and alienation arrar
Arrar is a small village in Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located between Kallar Kahar
Kallar Kahar ( ur, ) is a town and subdivision (Tehsil) of Chakwal District in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Kallar Kahar Tehsil. offers... sound like submissions to an Air America poetry contest."[
]
Track listing
# "Slow Hearse" – 2:32
# "The Picture" – 3:27
# "Action" – 2:48
# "Underground Dream" – 4:32
# "Circadian Rhythm" – 5:02
# "Beacon Soul" – 2:31
# "The Search" – 2:59
# "Adrenaline and Heresy" – 5:05
# "Satellite" – 2:14
# "Automatic Society" – 2:26
# "Methamphetamine" – 4:02
# "L Train" – 2:58
# "Highways and Cigarettes" – 3:54
# "Phosphate Skin" – 3:52
In addition to the regular compact disc release, a vinyl version and an iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
version of the album were also released featuring all 22 tracks from the recording sessions. The vinyl version features exclusive cover art and is titled "On Chant and Strum".
Vinyl and iTunes editions
# "Slow Hearse"
# "The Picture"
# "Action"
# "Underground Dream"
# "Circadian Rhythm"
# "Beacon Soul"
# "Coltrane Free"
# "Waking World"
# "Highways and Cigarettes"
# "The Search"
# "Adrenaline and Heresy"
# "Satellite"
# "Automatic Society"
# "Methampetamine"
# "Phosphate Skin"
# "Carnival Blues"
# "L Train"
# "Bleed The Line"
# "Exurbia"
# "Houdini Punches"
# "Bicycle Hotel"
# "Acetone Angels"
Personnel
* Jay Farrar - vocals, guitar, piano, electric bouzouki
The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
* Dave Bryson - drums, percussion
* Derry deBorja - piano, organ, keyboards
* Andrew DuPlantis - bass, backing vocal
* Brad Rice - electric guitars, baritone guitar, electric sitar
An electric sitar is a type of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the sitar, a traditional musical instrument of India. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional ...
, EBow
The EBow, short for electronic bow or energy bow, is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It is manufactured by Heet Sound Products, of Los Angeles, California. It was invented by Greg Heet i ...
* Chris Deusinger - saxophone on “The Picture” and "Acetone Angels"
* Keith Moyer - trumpet on “The Picture” and "Acetone Angels"
* Eric Heywood - pedal steel on “Methamphetamine” and “Highways and Cigarettes”
* Shannon McNally
Shannon Maureen McNally (born March 17, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter.
Biography
McNally was born in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island. While studying anthropology at Franklin and Marshall College, she began singing and playing ...
- acoustic Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
guitar on “Methamphetamine” and backing vocal on “Highways and Cigarettes"
References
External links
*
Short story review of ''The Search''
at The Wheel's Still In Spin
2007 albums
Son Volt albums
Legacy Recordings albums
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