The seminal Americana band Uncle Tupelo broke up back in 1994. And since that time, for more than 20 years, singer-songwriter Jay Farrar has been exploring the genre he helped define back in the early '90s. And now he's back with his band, Son Volt, for their eighth effort, Notes of Blue.

In Farrar's own words, the album was inspired by the unique and haunting tunings of Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James and the folk stylings of Nick Drake.

In some ways, it's a typical Son Volt album, filled with world-weary country soul, but it never gets boring because this album is punctuated with some well-timed, heavily amplified bursts of electric guitar.

Resources

Son Volt - official site

Related

• How Son Volt's music has sustained me through life
• Son Volt performs in the Current studio (2007)