Album of the Day

Alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo split in 1994, giving birth to two fine groups in its wake: Wilco and Son Volt. Singer-guitarist Jay Farrar heads the latter, and Son Volt's debut, TRACE, is a stirring mix of rock and honky tonk. On 10 originals, plus a cover of Ronnie Wood's “Mystifies Me,” the quartet plays with intense focus and fire - to judge from Farrar's lyrics, the breakup of his old band still stings, which may be one reason this set has the power it does. Rhino's new two-disc Deluxe Edition of TRACE includes previously unreleased demos for eight album tracks including “Live Free,” “Windfall,” “Route” and minor hit “Drown” plus a concert recorded at New York’s The Bottom Line in February, 1996 that features performances of nearly every song on the album plus a few Uncle Tupelo gems.