Son Volt (from the album Day of the Doug: The Songs of Doug Sahm

Son Volt (from the album Day of the Doug: The Songs of Doug Sahm

Son Volt (from the album Day of the Doug: The Songs of Doug Sahm available on Transmit Sounds/Thirty Tigers) (by Bryant Liggett)
Doug Sahm was always chasing a groove, and Son Volt has kept up with that chase. So much so that they’ve dropped a record of Sahm cuts loaded with that aforementioned groove. Jay Farrar has always had a thing for Doug Sahm’s music, going back to Uncle Tupelo days when they covered “Give Back the Keys to My Heart” and he’s added another chunk of cuts to his repertoire of well-honed covers on Day of the Doug: The Songs of Doug Sahm. It’s a hell of a nod to a hell of a songwriter, a packed stack of Country Rock rhythms that’s nothing but a good time.
That good time starts with the over the top positive “Sometimes You’ve Got to Stop Chasing Rainbows” where it’s revealed that Doug Sahm had some solid smart Pop sensibilities. “Keep Your Soul” and “Huggin’ Thin Air” are righteous barroom cut ready for two stepping, “Dynamite Woman” has a wonderful, roots rock chug, and “Poison Love” has a wonderful Tex-Mex bounce.
The record closes with the tender “It’s Gonna Be Easy” which tells us Doug Sahm could break your heart just as easy as he can escort you around a sawdust covered dance floor. Son Volt has captured the whole spirit of Sahm, from the familiar keys heard in his record to the overall groovy vibe. It’s a solid tip of the hat, and also quite personal thanks to titled “Doug Intro” and “Doug Outro” that sandwich the record, personal messages Doug Sahm left for Jay Farrar that seem to be from an answering machine; it adds a note of homey friendship to the whole tribute.
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For more information, please visit the Son Volt website