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Album Details

• Artist: Jay Farrar
• Album: Sebastopol
• Label: Artemis
• Year of Release: 2001
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2003-04-01

Now that Son Volt is on hiatus Jay Farrar finally gets to do his first official solo album. Sebastopol is that album and a return to form for the former Uncle Tupelo member. Jay is indeed back to what people have always known about this talented songwriter. You may remember Trace, which was Farrar’s fist Son Volt album the ended up being a No Depression classic but Jay seemed to tread water for the next two albums. It was like he knew that his sound was perfect and he didn’t have to do anything to improve. Well, he has realized that this was the case and Sebastopol is Jay Farrar’s return to form. He increases his diversity with all sorts of new sounds and arrangements. He not only resorts to electric guitar at times but also throws in sampled horns and strings. The arrangements are a little more upbeat and bright than past Son Volt albums and the addition of keyboards on some tracks add to the bouncy feel of Sebastopol. Jay hasn’t strayed from his country stylings the way his former bandmate Jeff Tweedy did with Wilco but he manages to reach out into new No Depression territory.

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