CD Review

It’s safe to assume his handlers recommended Jay Farrar begin releasing records under the Son Volt moniker again, in an effort to boost sales and with the hope that program directors at FM dials would remember the band that delivered the minor hit “Drown” a few years back—Incidentally, “Who” is the closest thing to a single on the album, and it’s gonna be a tough sell. It was of little concern that Jay Farrar would be the only consistent variable in this installment of Son Volt. It doesn’t matter, really, regardless of the vehicle—it’s always been Farrar behind the wheel, and everyone else is clamoring for shotgun, or a window seat…along for the ride.

Okemah and the Melody of Riot is exactly what we’ve come to expect from a plugged-in Farrar and friends. You’ll come across flashes of bizarre brilliance (“Atmosphere”) and instances where potential is detected, yet sadly unrealized (“Bandages and Scars” and “Jet Pilot”) while navigating a less than roaring river of moody, cerebral, guitar-driven roots rock. “Medication” is the rare exception, as it finds Son Volt abandoning their Marshall stacks in favor of a brooding, campfire organic sound. The rest of the record is essentially Counting Crows with a Masters degree. Sometimes they’re just too clever and vague for their own good—I mean, who, or what, the fuck is Ipecac?