Trace

Following the death of Uncle Tupelo and the subsequent birth of Wilco and Son Volt, the crux of Uncle Tupelo’s fans initially gravitated toward the latter band if only because Jay Farrar’s stoic songwriting and familiar drawl were at the forefront of this project as well. Right off the bat, Son Volt’s 1995 debut album Trace sounds much more like the continuation of the seminal alt-country trio than does Wilco’s 1995 debut A.M. The opening hayseed ballad “Windfall” hints at a more refined direction rooted in traditional Americana song craft, but then the gritty and distorted twang of “Live Free” picks up right where Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne left off. “Drown” was somewhat of a college radio hit as it hinged on juxtaposing twang-rock with loud and crunchy guitars indicative of the grunge era over a hearty rhythm section that dynamically utilized a cowbell ten years before Will Farrell and Christopher Walken lampooned the instrument in the legendary Blue Öyster Cult skit for Saturday Night Live. Ronnie Wood’s “Mystifies Me” is the only cover here and in its stripped down elegance it is a perfect way to bookend Trace.