Customer Ratings & Reviews

When I first saw who was doing this album, I was a little hesitant. Jay Farrar is one of the "pioneers" of the alt country movement in the bands Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt as well as a solo artist and a devout student of folk music. So it was easy seeing him putting music to the "lyrics" of a Beat writer. After all, Bob Dylan's music, especially early on, was poems put to music. Benjamin Gibbard on the other hand is from an alternative band, Death Cab For Cutie that really has done much "country" or folk, and the Postal Service that had the sound of an 80's pop band (Give It Up being an awesome album by the way). Both are great artists and songwriters, but it didn't seem like it would mix. Boy, I was wrong!! These guys really did great. I was especially impressed by Benjamin Gibbard. His voice really gave life to the songs. Jay Farrar complimented it in fine fashion with a darker tone, suiting for the subject matter. The way the album was done was very reminicent of the Uncle Tupelo albums. Farrar and Gibbard take turns singing lead from song to song with Gibbard singing harmonies on some of Farrar's song. Gibbard has a higher range than Farrar and on the this album sounds a little like Jeff Tweedy, Farrar's old bandmate in Uncle Tupelo and currently leader of Wilco. A largely acoustic album with Farrar also playing steel, slide, piano, harmonica and organ on a few songs with Gibbard playing drums, piano, and electric guitar on some others. Mark Spencer, Farrar's bandmate in Son Volt, also plays bass and electric guitar on a few songs. It all adds up to a solid performance by Farrar and Gibbard, folk, alt country and Beatnik all rolled into one.