''The Search'' is the fifth studio album by the band
Son Volt. It was released March 6, 2007.
Reception
The album has a score of 65 out of 100 from
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
[ '']Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' gave the album a very favorable review and called it "Son Volt 2.0, a modern, mature album that might be the group's best yet."[ '']The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' gave it a positive review and called it "A collection of highly listenable roots-rock tunes that stray little from its longtime formula." ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' also gave it a positive review and said, "Simple but effective sonic details — a chirpy horn arrangement, a reverse-looped guitar part — prevent “The Search” from feeling either preachy or repetitive."[ '']Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...
'', however, gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five and said that the album "lacks the spark of the band's classic catalog material."[ '']Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
'' gave it one-and-a-half stars out of five and stated: "The saggy country-rock complaints about corporatization and alienation arraroffers... sound like submissions to an Air America poetry contest."[
]
Track listing
# "Slow Hearse" – 2:32
# "The Picture" – 3:27
# "Action" – 2:48
# "Underground Dream" – 4:32
# "Circadian Rhythm" – 5:02
# "Beacon Soul" – 2:31
# "The Search" – 2:59
# "Adrenaline and Heresy" – 5:05
# "Satellite" – 2:14
# "Automatic Society" – 2:26
# "Methamphetamine" – 4:02
# "L Train" – 2:58
# "Highways and Cigarettes" – 3:54
# "Phosphate Skin" – 3:52
In addition to the regular compact disc release, a vinyl version and an iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
version of the album were also released featuring all 22 tracks from the recording sessions. The vinyl version features exclusive cover art and is titled "On Chant and Strum".
Vinyl and iTunes editions
# "The Search"
# "Carnival Blues"
# "Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug use, recreational or Performance-enhancing substance, performance-enhancing drug and less commonly as a secon ...
"
# "Bleed the Line"
# "L Train"
# "Phosphate Skin"
# "The Picture"
# "Beacon Soul"
# "Underground Dream"
# "Exurbia"
# "Adrenaline and Heresy"
# "Action"
# "Circadian Rhythm"
# "Bicycle Hotel"
# "Houdini Punches"
# "Acetone Angels"
# "Satellite"
# "Automatic Society"
# "Waking World"
# "Highways and Cigarettes"
# "Coltrane Free"
# "Slow Hearse"
Personnel
* Jay Farrar - vocals, guitar, piano, electric bouzouki
The bouzouki (, also ; ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', , from Greek , from Turkish ) is a musical instrument popular in West Asia (Syria, Iraq), Europe and Balkans (Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey). It is a member of the long-necked lute fam ...
* Dave Bryson - drums, percussion
* Derry deBorja - piano, organ, keyboards
* Andrew DuPlantis - bass, backing vocal
* Brad Rice - electric guitars, baritone guitar, electric sitar
An electric sitar is a type of electric string instrument designed to mimic the sound of the sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instru ...
, EBow
The EBow is an electronic device used for playing string instruments, most often the electric guitar. It was invented by the American guitarist Greg Heet in 1969 and introduced in 1976. The EBow uses a pickup and a magnetic feedback circuit to ...
* Chris Deusinger - saxophone on “The Picture” and "Acetone Angels"
* Keith Moyer - trumpet on “The Picture” and "Acetone Angels"
* Eric Heywood - pedal steel on “Methamphetamine” and “Highways and Cigarettes”
* Shannon McNally
Shannon Maureen McNally (born March 17, 1973) is an American singer and songwriter.
Biography
McNally was born in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island. While studying anthropology at Franklin and Marshall College, she began singing and playing ...
- acoustic Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
guitar on “Methamphetamine” and backing vocal on “Highways and Cigarettes"
References
External links
*
* at The Wheel's Still In Spin
2007 albums
Son Volt albums
Legacy Recordings albums
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