Customer Reviews

Sebastopol

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Nothing in the recorded output of Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo through the 3 Sun Volt albums) prepared me for Sebastopol. And reading these reviews, it looks like a lot of people were equally unprepared. One review here calls it an "acoustic" record, while another complains of "shrill electronic sounds"... one seems to only like "Damn Shame" which is very unlike anything else on the record, another thinks "Barstow" is hackwork. Everybody's got two cents and I'm no exception.
I'm writing this in 2005, after "Terroir Blues" and the live records... and at this juncture, I'd say that Sebastopol is one of my favorite records of all time. As far as Farrar's work goes, I think it is second to "Trace" but just barely. What is very cool to me is just how different it is from his other stuff... what interesting stuff Jay can do when he decides to use the studio. Most of his records go for a more raw, "live band" sound which I love. But on Sebastopol, he had the time and money and desire to really use the studio step away from the formula. What he delivers is something that immediately struck me as a record that might have resulted if the Beatles were making Revolver in the 21st century with Neil Young in the band. I've never noticed a trace of Beatles in Jay, but there are moments here that feel like Rubber Soul, Revolver and even things like "It's all too much" from the Yellow Submarine album. And he does it without completely losing touch with the "cosmic American" sensibility that has been his signature.

Almost every song on this disk holds up well. Many are more tuneful and interesting than his average output, and it makes me wish that some of the Terroir Blues cuts had gotten a similar treatment. If you only like the more country edge of Jay, then you might not hang with Sebastopol. If you only like his hardest edged stuff, it might, I suppose, sound too "Pop" ... but if this is Pop, it's what I wish Pop would become. There is nothing "slick" here, nothing silly, nothing gratuitous. I wish the synth-string backing of "damaged Son" was a little less ponderous but other than that, I love it start to finish. And if you get the ThirdshiftGrottoSlack EP and burn your own disk with that following the Sebastopol cuts... (minus the noise tracks which I really don't like) You have a really fine record (and you REALLY hear the Beatles influence on a couple of those). Very listenable, very interesting. Lyrically fine, and well recorded.

If you've made it this far to the point where you're reading reviews to see if you should buy the CD I'll save you some time...Just buy it already! A very solid effort by all accounts. It's nice every now and then to not have to look for albums from the 60's and 70's to find music with actual content and feeling. These songs don't contain alot of catchy choruses or guitar hooks, but they'll grow on you fast and you won't be able to let go. The lyrics are standard issue Farrar, insightful, inspiring, determined, choppy, sometimes melancholy, but never boring. Overall, the CD is more listenable than Jay's last two albums with Son Volt. Two small complaints, all of the instrumentals are very short and don't really add that much to the album...similar to Jodel from Wide Swing Tremolo.....and some of the other songs come in at just over 2 minutes. However, I'm only going to deduct half a point and still round up to 5 stars.

I have never been as big a fan of Jay Farrar as I am of Jeff Tweedy, and never will...but this album is pretty incredible. Many lame insults are thrown back and forth between the fans of Wilco and Son Volt. There may be some bitterness between the two stars, but how it effects the fans is beyond me. On to the album though...Jay is able to keep up his excellent lyricism and musicianship again on Sebastopol. With a variety of guests, including Gillian Welch on Barstow, this album maintains a solid feeling of hopeful isolation through every song. Farrar paints the picture of a rather desolate world, but puts in his two cents on how to cope with this planet of ours. With the inclusion of the little instrumental segways in between some of the songs, the album almost takes on the feel of a concept LP. Jay has begun to blend in more instruments, such as the sitar and some heavy synths on "Feed Kill Chain," which really haven't been incorporated into the genre before, outside of Wilco that is, and it's an overdue but welcome change. Jay's classic monotone voice is simply haunting in every way shape and form. My personal favorite tracks are the first single Voodoo Candle, Feel Free, Drain, and Make it Alright, but there is not a bad song on this album. If you love Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and Son Volt or are a fan of great singer/songwriter music in general...it's impossible to go wrong with this CD.

Take it from a serious stundent of the Uncle Tupelo legacy. This is the best album produced by any of these offshoots (Son Volt, Wilco, Jeff Tweedy, Jay Farrar). If you've enjoyed Farrar's songwriting in previous albums, you will agree with me. While many artists lose depth with increasing popularity, Farrar gets better. Not only are the songs well written, but the production of this album is extraordinary. Farrar obviously has that talent, and produces the album along with John Agnello. A hard charging beginning with Feel Free and Clear Day Thunder. Distortion mixed with some clean acoustic rips and plenty of wah-wah pedal really get the album going. Gears change at Barstow, where Rawlings comes in with the dobro, and Gillian Welch sings backup. This may be the highlight for Dobro lovers, and the lyrics are brilliant. If you make it through Barstow without listening to that track six times in a row, the remainder of the album is a nice blend of acoustic variety, as well as a diverse array of moods and themes. Cheers to Farrar on a job well done.

The first time I heard Sebastopol, I was not impressed. The CD that had previously been enjoying steady rotation in my Walkman was Whiskeytown's Faithless Street, and compared to their rollicking honky-tonk anthems and Ryan Adams' rebel-without-a-shower attitude, Sebastopol hit me like a ton of lint. It sounded flat and morose, and the elaborate instrumentation seemed about as natural as tail fins on a pick-up truck.

However, as a long-time fan of Uncle Tupelo and the UT diaspora, I stuck with it. And I'm glad I did. More than a week after I bought it, Sebastopol has not left my CD player, and it continues to grow on me. What I am learning is that listening to the new Farrar is like breaking in a good pair of work boots: there's some initial stiffness, but over time you really appreciate the workmanship.

Jay Farrar has never aspired to demagoguery, but it is easy to understand how some fans have turned his opaque lyrics into a roadmap for modern asceticism, particularly when they are spiked with such disarming wisdom as: "when the way is finally found/ in the stacks and piles of dead promises/ that we keep around" (from Dead Promises).

Farrar may be breaking new ground with Sebastopol or he may be, as some reviewers suggest, hacking his way into a morass of self-indulgence. But it hardly matters to me: I'll follow him anywhere.

For all the Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt fans put off by this excellent CD, keep on listening to the stuff you like. I enjoy Anodyne and recently bought the U.T. Antholgy. I don't own any Son Volt and don't give masterwork status to Trace. Musicians either grow as artists and move on, leaving some fans behind and finding some new ones along the way, or keep playing the same stuff. Farrar seems to be making music he enjoys making, giving other musicians with him space to inspire him. This music is melodic, driving, atmospheric, unplugged - sometimes all at once. I enjoyed this CD the first time through. I've listened around 70 more times, and like it even more.

When word got around that Jay Farrar had taken a hiatus from Son Volt to complete a solo project, the first rumors made it out to be either a live album of strictly solo gigs, an album of deep-South country tunes, or even a rip-roaring rock album (he does an amazing cover of "Born to Be Wild" live).

Happily, it's none of those things...it's as melodic and rich as the best of Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo, surreal lyrics intact, but taken far more personal. The arrangements here are pure Farrar, with keyboards and other odd instruments added by Steve Drozd (the Flaming Lips' drummer). There's honestly not a bad song on here; every time I listen to it, I find new levels of richness and beauty.

I expected a quickie bedroom-recorded album, not the best CD of the year.

Well, I'll be done. Having invested heavily in Wilco recordings for the past four or five years, I recently retreaded Tweedy's path to Uncle Tupelo, and subsequently discovered Jay Farrar and Son Volt. Most recently of all, I have got in the space of two weeks, Farrar's first Son Volt release 'Trace', and this, Farrar's first solo project.
What I can't for the life of me figure out is why people are whining on about 'Sebastopol' being a cop-out. This is a richer, more invigorating, and more musically accomplished album than 'Trace', which itself was a master-stroke..
'Feel Free' sets the tone, a strange keyboard intro paving the way for a coruscating rhythm and hypnotic melody to ease you in.

On 'Trace', Farrar only knew one way to sing, but listen to the first song on 'Sebastopol' and it's clear the old dog has learned a few new tricks. And he pulls them off with aplomb.
'Drain' is a Farrar classic, and will have you reaching for the Kleenex at every listen (interpret how you will). 'Damaged Son' and 'Barstow' are two further standouts, the latter featuring the soothing vocal of Gillian Welch. The fact that the likes of Welch and David Rawlings have contributed to this CD confirms Farrar's standing in the altcountry world, a world which is moving fast, and embracing new pastures. With Ryan Adams' 'Gold' and Wilco's 'Summerteeth', altcountry is moving fast into pop country. But less twang and more pop doesn't mean the end. Altcountry is all about authenticity, and the way Farrar and the likes of Adams and Tweedy sing from the heart which they wear on their sleeve is what this great genre is all about. 'Sebastopol' is a triumph in changing times. Embrace it.

This is not pop music and you'll not be hearing any of the gems from this CD on Top 40 radio. If you like upbeat, light and happy songs, this is not for you. The tone is melancholy and there is a density to it that may not be for everyone. I have listened to Sebastopol over and over; it just seems to get better for me with each playing. I own and treasure all of the Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt CDs. Perhaps I am biased, but for me, Jay's "project" is a great success. It certainly sounds familiar, with the great lyrics and prominent guitars I would have expected. The familiar is enhanced by the addition of keyboards and some great slide guitar by Kelly Joe Phelps. In my opinion, this CD is one of the best of the year, but I will be surprised if it gets the recognition it deserves. This may be a good thing, because it will make it possible for Jay to continue to play the smaller venues that are probably the best settings for his work. If you liked Jay's work in his other two bands, you'll enjoy this CD very much; don't hesitate to get it!!

Better than any CD from the Uncle Tupelo days? Better even than Trace? No way, says the cautious fan. Hey, I'm just as amazed as you. I love Trace, I've listened to it more than any other CD over the last few years, I've had a friggin *relationship* with Trace, but at present I'm tempted to rate Sebastopol even higher. I am finding that slow series of discoveries with each song like I do with my very favorite CDs... the variety of lush and sparse orchestration anchored by Farrar's raw voice and steady acoustic guitar... the splendid duet with Gillian Welch... I am really into this CD right now. I am a bit stunned to see Tupelo and Volt fans giving it less than five stars, but am sure in time when they realize the majesty of this creative effort they will regret it. This is the best stuff going on right now in American Music.