American Central Dust

Jay Farrar turned to a decidedly folk and country sound on Son Volt's sixth album—the third since the band's 2005 return from hiatus and more intimate than its immediate predecessors. “Cocaine and Ashes” reverberates with the organic poignancy that Farrar expertly musters as he sings about a ragged life. “Down to the Wire” is a punchier departure, with a country shuffle and lyrics written with a jaundiced eye turned to the world. “Jukebox of Steel” ends things with a twangy, dusty vision of America.