Union
A photo of a typewriter next to a front door with an American flag hanging outside
Studio album by
Son Volt
ReleasedMarch 29, 2019 (2019-03-29)
Studio
  • Blue Jade Audio, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
  • Mother Jones Museum, Illinois, United States
  • Red Pill Studio, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
  • Woody Guthrie Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Genre
Length39:12
LanguageEnglish
LabelTransmit Sound/Thirty Tigers
ProducerJay Farrar
Son Volt chronology
Notes of Blue
(2017)		 Union
(2019)		 Electro Melodier
(2021)

Union is a 2019 studio album by American alternative country band Son Volt.

Reception

Union received positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. It has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on six reviews.[3] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that this album finds frontman Jay Farrar "singing about the specifics of a divided nation in a way he never has before" and characterizes this release as "a brave experiment and a sincere effort to explore new creative avenues, but it's a long way from a rousing success".[2] Writing for American Songwriter, Hal Horowitz gave this album 2 out of 5 stars, stating that "there are some insightful concepts at work in these 13 tracks", but the songs "are dreary, similar sounding (to each other and much of the rest of Son Volt’s catalog) and generally just bland", and he blames Farrar's production.[4] A review in Glide Magazine proposes that "it should prove timeless and, appropriately enough, of a piece with the best work of Jay Farrar’s estimable career".[5] Paste's Lee Zimmerman rated this album a 6.8 out of 10, summing up that "With the majority of the songs maintaining a steady stride, Farrar shares his conviction with authority and insistence. Those are the qualities that allow Union to remain true to its common core."[6] Justin Cober-Lake of PopMatters scored Union a 6 out of 10, criticizing Farrar's contributions and the pacing of some tracks, but writing "the band rarely feels stuck" and is "as tight as ever, relaxed but always strong".[1]

Track listing

  1. "While Rome Burns" – 2:15
  2. "The 99" – 3:30
  3. "Devil May Care" – 2:58
  4. "Broadsides" – 3:37
  5. "Reality Winner" – 4:33
  6. "Union" – 3:39
  7. "The Reason" – 4:00
  8. "Lady Liberty" – 1:24
  9. "Holding Your Own" – 3:00
  10. "Truth to Power Blues" – 1:15
  11. "Rebel Girl" – 3:16
  12. "Slow Burn" – 2:10
  13. "The Symbol" – 3:36

Personnel

Son Volt

Additional personnel

  • John Agnello – mixing
  • Jacob Detering – engineering, mixing assistance, production assistance, images
  • David McClister – images, photography
  • Brad Sarno – mastering
  • David Schwartz – design, layout

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Cober-Lake, Justin (March 27, 2019). "Son Volt Gets Topical on 'Union'". PopMatters. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Deming, Mark (n.d.). "Union – Son Volt". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Union by Son Volt". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  4. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (March 27, 2019). "Son Volt: Union". Album Reviews. American Songwriter. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Son Volt Furthers Their Evolution With Interweaving 'Union'". Album Reviews. Glide Magazine. March 29, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  6. ↑ Zimmerman, Lee (March 25, 2019). "Son Volt: Union". Music > Reviews. Paste. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
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