''Trace'' is the first

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

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 ...

, released in 1995. The band was formed the previous year by

Jay Farrar Jay Farrar (born December 26, 1966) is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his estab ...

after the breakup of the influential

alt-country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

band

Uncle Tupelo Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to atten ...

. The album reached #166 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart and received extremely favorable reviews. According to

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, "Throughout Son Volt's debut, ''Trace'', the group reworks classic

honky tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ( tack piano) ...

and rock & roll, adding a desperate, determined edge to their performances. Even when they rock out, there is a palpable sense of melancholy to Farrar's voice, which lends a poignancy to the music." AmericanaUK calls ''Trace'', "A graceful masterpiece, a positive turning of the page for Farrar, and a gentle reminder of the power and long-lasting influence of Uncle Tupelo." "The album was in the top 10 of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'''s 1995 critics' list. "Drown" was a minor college and rock radio hit. It charted at #10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[] It remains their only single to land on either of the charts.

Track listing

All songs written by Farrar except "Mystifies Me", written by Ronnie Wood. # "Windfall" – 2:58 # "Live Free" – 3:13 # "Tear Stained Eye" – 4:21 # "Route" – 3:57 # "Ten Second News" – 3:57 # "Drown" – 3:20 # "Loose String" – 3:48 # "Out of the Picture" – 3:50 # "Catching On" – 4:02 # "Too Early" – 4:29 # "Mystifies Me" – 4:12

Personnel

* Dave Boquist - guitar, banjo, fiddle, lap steel guitar, dobro * Jim Boquist - bass, backing vocals *

- vocals, guitar *

Mike Heidorn Mike Heidorn, born 1967 in Belleville, Illinois, is the former drummer and founding member of alternative country bands Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. Heidorn also played with the Uncle Tupelo precursors the Primitives (or ) and the one-off band Co ...

- drums * Eric Heywood - pedal steel guitar *

Craig Krampf Craig Krampf (born October 22, 1954) is an American drummer, percussionist, arranger, record producer and songwriter. The majority of his notable credits are as a studio drummer. Since the 1970s, he has played on albums by other artists ranging f ...

- drums on "Live Free" * Dan Newton - accordion on "Too Early" * Marc Perlman - bass on "Mystifies Me"

References

* 1995 debut albums Son Volt albums Warner Records albums {{1990s-country-album-stub