It seems apt that one of the bands chiefly responsible for jumpstarting the entire modern roots rock movement should return to their roots themselves. So indeed, after a tangled trajectory that found them breaking-up, reemerging via a complete transition in membership, and undergoing a shift in sound, it’s reassuring to find Son Volt apparently back at square one, at least in terms of reclaiming their original sound. As usual, the inspiration falls at the feet of the band’s erstwhile leader, Jay Farrar -- at least conceptually -- and while the new album’s overall theme - that of the toils and challenges brought on by our modern malaise -- is as well worn as the dusty highways these troubadours traipse, there’s no denying the welcome return.
Farrar’s never been shy about ceding his influences, ever since he helped lay claim to Americana’s origins via the immortal Uncle Tupelo. Then, as now, echoes of the Byrds, the Burrito Brothers, the New Riders, American Beauty and Exile on Main Street illuminate his intents. The latter is especially apparent on the song that’s sure to be a standout in terms of garnering attention, the mournful piano ballad “Cocaine and Ashes.” A paean to Keith Richards, it celebrates the rocker as your average everyman, while extolling Keef’s claim that he actually snorted the cremated ashes of his father.
On the whole however, American Central Dust is a mighty mournful affair, suitably embellished by Farrar’s weary vocals and an enduring sense of remorse and resignation. The set seizes on the hardships that are afflicting the heartland, aptly illuminated in the song titles themselves - “Down to the Wire,” “Dust of Daylight” and “Pushed Too Far.” But it’s the music that effectively reinforces this despair, from the yearning road tale of an aimless traveler, as sprawling as the endless horizons ahead of him (“No Turning Back”) to the crunch and trudge that brings an aural illumination (“When the Wheels Don’t Move”). Embossed with swaying steel guitars, easy ambling rhythms and Farrar’s forlorn sentiments, the country rock imprints first imagined by the Byrds and the Burritos characterizes the sound overall. If the slow pace tends to muffle the impact and blur the boundaries between songs, it doesn’t negate the beauty of this tattered and tearstained masterpiece.
--Lee Zimmerman [July 6, 2009]
