Jay Farrar - Sebastopol (2001)

Sometimes a successful solo debut is more about honing an extant style than making wholesale changes. Here, Jay Farrar shelves his post-Uncle Tupelo band Son Volt and their Crazy Horse-meets-cowpunk sound in favor of a tuneful, acoustic approach. Solo or not, it's clear from the dark-hued melodies, obtuse lyrics, and yearning lead vocals on Sebastopol that this is obviously a Farrar record. No great stylistic leaps here, and, for fans, that's good news. An upbeat, repeat-chorused tune like "Voodoo Candle" would not be out of place on a Son Volt record. The twangy "Barstow" with David Rawlings on lap steel would have fit on a later Uncle Tupelo disc. And the mournful "Drain" is set to the tune Farrar has been writing since he began. The details are where things are different. From the violin-like keyboards of "Damaged Son," the drum machine and sitar intro of "Prelude (Make It Alright)," and the alternative tunings used throughout, it's clear that Farrar is now writing songs for himself and not a band. It's a change that casts the best moments of his craggy songwriting--the melodic turn of the chorus of "Feedkill Chain" and the solid craftsmanship of "Different Eyes"--in an even more beautiful light.