Son Volt

As Wilco were reinventing themselves as indie rockers, Son Volt stuck with alt country. That changes with this LP. The first song is an exquisite, piano-driven dirge with looped 12-string guitars picked psychedelically as Jay Farrar sings, "Feels like drivin' 'round in a slow hearse," over and over. Things pick up unpredictably with "The Picture," as a horn section accompanies Farrar's melodious, political gripes (at least some things haven't changed). And damn if "Satellite" doesn't sound like Gang Of Four. Shannon McNally harmonizes on "Highways And Cigarettes."