What does it sound like?:
It’s hard to believe but it’s over 30 years since Uncle Tupelo played their final gigs and broke up, mired in the bitterness between Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, never to reunite. It’s fair to say that Farrar and Tweedy have never reconciled. In fact Farrar reputedly couldn’t even bring himself to speak of Tweedy by name in writing about the history of the band, referring to him only as ‘the bassist’.
For those of us for whom Uncle Tupelo were something special, the band’s breakup invited the kind of reassessment of loyalties usually reserved for a divorce. Tweedy’s career with Wilco has followed a very different path to Farrar’s with Son Volt. Innovative, eclectic and veering far from his Americana roots, Tweedy’s band has obviously been by far the more lauded and successful. Farrar on the other hand has stayed closer to his roots. More serious, more shy, less experimental than Tweedy, Farrar has ploughed a folk-rock furrow that has occasionally led to criticism that many Son Volt albums sound the same.
Since you’re asking, I’ve never really been into Wilco, but I’ve loved pretty much everything Farrar has done, both as a solo artist and with the many incarnations of Son Volt, from the majestic beginnings with Trace in 1995, to the band’s last album of original material Electro Melodier in 2021. There was a tribute album to Doug Sahm, Day of the Doug in 2023, and now a new one, Sound Signal Serenades, is due in a few weeks.
But last year Jay Farrar teamed up with New York folkie Shannon McNally on an album that was released only as a very limited edition LP, a download or streaming on digital platforms. For a low-key release that slipped out largely unnoticed, it is a splendid piece of work. Farrar’s voice, mournful as ever, is wrapped in the purity of McNally’s creating a harmony that is beautiful to behold. Of the 12 tracks 9 are covers including a stately version of ‘Cortez the Killer’, Peter Bruntnell’s ‘Outlaw’ and songs by Townes Van Zandt, J.J. Cale and the aforementioned Doug Sahm. Best of the lot are 2 songs by Bob Neuwirth, ‘Annabelle Lee’ and a lovely version of ‘Eye on the Road’, in which Farrar turns up the mournfulness to wrist-slashing levels. There are 3 originals; Farrar contributes ‘Blood on the Tea Leaves’, a kind of state of the nation elegy, and McNally features on the self-penned ‘No Place at All’. The pair duet on the jointly written ‘Broken and Scattered’. Musically the songs are largely faithful to the tradition from which they come, as you would expect from Farrar. All are simple and acoustic, Farrar’s and McNally’s voices perfect for the material.
What does it all *mean*?
As we all know, there are many good things out there on streaming platforms and elsewhere that don’t get a general release.
Goes well with…
Anything by Son Volt, and crying into a bottle of whisky.
Release Date:
2025
Might suit people who like…
Any of the songwriters whose songs are featured on the album I guess, sung in the great American folk tradition. If nothing else it has encouraged me to explore the music of Bob Neuwirth, with whom I was largely unfamiliar. His second album, Back to the Front, released many years after his first, is well worth a listen.
Catnip! Discogs, here I come.
I am a huge Wilco fan, as I am sure many here know. My favourite current band. I have tried to get into Uncle Tupelo and while there is stuff to admire there, it just doesn’t do it for me. Main issue for me is Jay’s voice I think. I still have all their albums.
Btw I read recently that things are better between them these days and they do occasionally discuss business matters regarding UT, but as Jeff says “Mom and dad are not getting back together”
Shannon McNally is no “New York folkie”. Talk about damning someone with faint praise.
I bow to your greater knowledge @Carl. I like both of the tracks posted above and will be exploring more of her work. She is at least from New York. And described as a ‘folk stalwart’ by Pitchfork magazine.
I didn’t know about this! Thanks for your review and recommendation. I love Son Volt but it’s easy to get out of touch, they are so low key.
I was a fan of Uncle Tupelo and was disappointed when they broke up. However the break up paid dividends in my opinion. We got Golden Smog from that band we got Wilco and The Jayhawks*, the latter being my favourite. I have however bought every Wilco album album including box sets. My favourites of being the first 3 albums A.M., Being There and Summerteeth, in my opinion the albums that followed don’t match that triumvirate (OOAA @dai and respected). I feel the later Wilco albums sound like Jeff Tweedy’s solo stuff and are bland. With regard to Son Volt I enjoy theBargie’sir albums much more than anything by Wilco after the first three.
Right to Bargie’s review of the Jay Farrar & McNally album which as usual gives a prospective buyer all they need to know. The covers are by artists whose work I already have which makes this a certain buy. Thank you.
*The Jayhawks being my favourites from those bands.
You’re right @Pyramid, many good things did follow from the Uncle Tupelo breakup, not the least of which was the Mermaid Avenue project between Wilco and Billy Bragg. I really should make more of an effort with Wilco; I really liked their Cruel Country album, but perhaps need to revisit their earlier classic stuff.
Thanks for your kind comments on my review, though I’m thinking I may have to reinvent myself as Bargepole. 😉
Sorry about that @Boneshaker, I’ve booked a Specksavers appointment, fact!
The ‘Mermaid Avenue’ project was excellent, in fact the version of ‘California Stars’ is in my Top Ten all time favourite songs.
You are stopping before arguably their best 2 albums, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born. Nothing bland there. Recent albums are less experimental but the songwriting and musicianship is always top notch and there isn’t really a weak one. And always a fantastic live experience, in fact playing Hammersmith Odeon tonight!
I didn’t stop @dai I have all of Wiko’s albums in fact i have the enormo box of Y.H.F. as I do like it. I was speaking generally when comparing to the albums/bands I like more.
Jay Farrar talks guitars. What’s not to like?
Agree with @dai there is certainly nothing bland about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the boxset of that album is probably my all time favourite boxset.
Big fan of Shannon McNally and will definitely check this out.
Hey dummkopf where did I say Y.H.F. was bland. No wonder you’re shyte at Wordle 😅 🤣 😂 you don’t read properly.
Hard to find, innit?
‘The later stuff sounds like Jeff Tweedy solo stuff and is bland’ after citing the the first 3 album triumvirate would seem to suggest as a later album that you are lumping YHF into the bland camp. Whatever you meant you must admit it is not clear neither to @dai or to me. Agree with you re California Stars – one of my favourite songs of all time and another absolutely belting Wilco song is Blasting Fonda.
By the way 6th in Wordle is not shyte as you so eloquently put it.
Re: Wordle, will turd-like be acceptable❓️🤗
Re: YHF – that was Wilco’s 4th album they’ve released at least 8 albums since then. I referred to ‘later’ albums being bland. I also emphasised that my comments were my own opinion therefore I wasn’t stating my comments as fact.
Steven you really need to read posts properly. 🫎🫎😂🫎🫎
Sadly in its physical format it was limited to 500 copies which is very irritating. Not a fan of downloading or streaming but might need to make an exception here.
It’s on Qobuz! Huzzah!