May the Wind Take Your Troubles Away: All Eight Son Volt Albums Ranked Worst to Best (2017)

This month, Jay Farrar and Son Volt returned with their eighth studio album, "Notes of Blue," twenty-three years after Farrar first christened the band.

To the alt-country scene, this is a big deal. To the casual fan, not so much. Farrar's music has a bit of predictability to it, which is by no means a bad thing. Many successful bands and musicians have a successful formula that they can return to, and no matter what, the fan that loves that formula will return. Wilco has done this, but they have the privilege of a fanbase that looks for experimentation. Son Volt on the other hand has a comfortable familiar sound that Farrar holds close, experiementing just enough to keep things interesting.

And on "Notes of Blue," he has done that. He has delivered a Son Volt record that sounds like a Son Volt record, but it also has special qualities that makes it stand out from the rest of the band's discography.

Wilco's acclaim is unmatched, and in their success in the early 2000s, critics began to discover how relevant the discography of Jay Farrar and Uncle Tupelo too. Thanks to Wilco's success, Jay Farrar can continue to make great records AND enjoy acclaim from music critics like NPR.

I have noted that that there is no internet article ranking Son Volt's albums. I decided to take the plunge and put one out there. Side projects and collaborations are excluded. Only the records under the Son Volt name were ranked.

Here are all eight of Son Volt's records, ranked from worst to best. I ranked by content and quality, over legacy or favorability.

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#8

American Central Dust (2009)

Consensus: A beautiful return to form. This folky sixth album was the record Son Volt fans were looking for when the band reunited in 2005. However, it does not quite reach the quality from their 90s records or the experimentation in their early comeback records. Son Volt seems at home with this folky sound, but when you hold your cards close to your chest, it shows you've been pushed too far.

Track Pick: Dynamite

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#7

Notes of Blue (2017)

Consensus: This is exactly what fans were looking for in 2017: A bold, punchy record that included sounds that were a little different (southern rock slide guitars). However, their eighth record cannot come close to the quality of their work in the 90s and 2000s.

Track Pick: Back Against the Wall

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#6

 Honky Tonk (2013)

Consensus: Their seventh record is often overooked and dismissed because of its self-labeled theme. Don't judge it based on its terrible cover art either. The band continues to return-to-form mellow folk, with to a much better result than American Central Dust. The ensemble here is very lively and organic, and the honky tonk songs are nicely spaced out between folk ballads and bluesy shuffles.

Track Pick: Hearts and Minds

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#5

The Search (2007)

Consensus: The Search is an interesting album. Farrar makes a great attempt to do something different, which is great because to many people who aren't fans, Son Volt songs all sound the same.  An album that had so much potential, the follow-up to Okemah is too long and too cluttered. Feels like driving round in a slow hearse. It's ok though, because it's worth the wait. You're rewarded later in the record with "Methamphetamine," "Highways and Cigarettes," and the title track. 

Track Pick: Methamphetamine

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#4

Straightaways (1997)

Consensus: Considered a bit of a disappointment in 1997, their follow up record "Trace, pt. 2" follows the same patterns as the debut, with less definitive tunes, but the excellent instrumentation executed by the band makes up for it. Make no mistake, this is an essential Son Volt record for even the casual fan. This one exemplifies the melancholy and moody part of Farrar. Classic Son Volt, it barely loses out to Wide Swing Tremolo.

Track Pick: Back Into Your World

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#3

Wide Swing Tremolo (1998)

Consensus: Straightaways was really nice, but it was destined to be shadowed by the band's amazing debut. On Wide Swing Tremolo the band really tries to find footing, and the results may seem sporadic, but there's a lot of great variety on their third record and everything seems to FLOW really nicely. Some really great standout tracks here, among the band's best recordings. 

Track Pick: Driving the View

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#2

Okemah and the Melody of Riot (2005)

Consensus: Surprised this one beat out Straightaways? Don't be. Son Volt reunited in 2005 with a lot of buzz, especially after the breakthrough success of their rival band Wilco. Their fourth record is almost nonstop, driving crunching guitars moving forward until the beautiful closing  track. It's angsty, it's ragged, it's so unlike most of SV's catalog. Consistent in quality, this beats out all their records, save one.

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#1

Trace (1995)

Consensus: No surprise here. This is unanimously the best Son Volt record, and Farrar will never produce anything that will top it. In fact, anything he produces is shadowed by this record. This is top notch roots rock with a folk twist. It's also your ultimate roadtrip-through-the-midwest-in-the-middle-of-the-night-album.

Track Pick: Windfall

So, did I rannk 'em right? Do you think Okemah and The Search are too high? Do you think their newest releases are ranked too low? Tell me what you think in the comments below.