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The Search Image
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 23 Ratings

  • Summary: Frontman Jay Farrar produced the band's fifth album.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Billboard
    90
    "The Search" is Son Volt 2.0, a modern, mature album that might be the group's best yet. [10 Mar 2007]
  2. Uncut
    80
    Son Volt have discovered a new sense of ambition, even abandon, on The Search. [May 2007, p.104]
  3. While it may be impossible for this Son Volt to ever reach the pinnacle of their 1995 debut, no one can accuse Jay Farrar of going through the motions.
  4. Spin
    60
    It's a sober cruise down the white line between timelessness and nostalgia. [May 2007, p.90]
  5. Paste Magazine
    60
    On The Search... Farrar discovers some genuinely exciting new haunts, and frontloads them conveniently. [Mar 2007, p.62]
  6. It comes off sounding like a transitional recording, but with Son Volt any change is welcome.
  7. Blender
    30
    The saggy country-rock complaints about corporatization and alienation [Farrar] offers... sound like submissions to an Air America poetry contest. [Apr 2007, p.121]

See all 16 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. jakos
    Mar 6, 2007
    10
    Awsome! Jay has done it again
  2. TimA
    Mar 5, 2007
    10
    Farrar and company add some new instruments and technique to their signature sound to great effect without coming off as experimental or Farrar and company add some new instruments and technique to their signature sound to great effect without coming off as experimental or forced. The same great songwriting and familiar voice remain. Great album. Expand
  3. A.Gray
    Apr 16, 2007
    10
    Best since Trace. "Mthamphetamine" and "Underground Dream" are classic alt-country songs.
  4. MikeJ
    Mar 7, 2007
    10
    Excellent album! The best Son Volt record since Straightaways, and it's as good as that, just in a different way. I didn't think it Excellent album! The best Son Volt record since Straightaways, and it's as good as that, just in a different way. I didn't think it would be this good after the spotty Okemah, but it's really a great record. Highways and Cigarettes, the Picture and Methamphetamine are all classics. Expand
  5. DaveH
    Mar 18, 2007
    10
    Incredible. "Highways and cigarettes" is the most hauntingly beautiful song I have heard in years.
  6. drewc
    Mar 20, 2007
    10
    Best album Jay Farrar has created yet!!
  7. RobS
    Mar 16, 2007
    9
    Very good album! I would give it an 8 normally but I pushed it up to a nine because it was great to hear Son Volt (Jay) stretching out a bit. Very good album! I would give it an 8 normally but I pushed it up to a nine because it was great to hear Son Volt (Jay) stretching out a bit. It's very consistent, although for me, ther wasn't anything that quite reaches the heights of Bandages and Scars or Atmosphere from Okemah. Expand

See all 13 User Reviews