Day of the Doug is the latest chapter of
Jay Farrar's lifelong love of
Doug Sahm, a connection the
Son Volt leader underscores by having
Day of the Doug open and close with voicemails the Texas Groover left
Farrar many, many years ago. Back then,
Farrar's old band
Uncle Tupelo invited
Sir Doug to play on their version of
Sahm's "Give Back the Key to My Heart" on their final album,
Anodyne, a move that seemed a bit like the passing of a generational torch. Thirty years later,
Sahm is long gone and
Son Volt, the band
Farrar formed after
Tupelo, are part of the Americana old guard, so
Day of the Doug hits slightly differently. Certainly, the record is a loving tribute to a key influence on
Farrar, but it also feels a bit like a way to keep
Sahm's legacy alive, a way to introduce listeners to a pivotal 20th century American musician whose body of work remains underappreciated.
Farrar celebrates
Sahm not by reviving
Sir Doug's familiar tunes -- "She's About a Mover" and "Mendocino" are nowhere to be seen -- but by concentrating on the breadth of his catalog, balancing hippie ballads like "Beautiful Texas Sunshine" with the honky tonk blues of "Keep Your Soul" and multicultural rockers like "Juan Mendoza."
Son Volt sharply select tracks that illustrate
Sahm's range while also playing right in their own sweet spot, finding songs that benefit from stripped-down, earthy delivery. It also helps that
Son Volt clearly are having a great time laying into these songs as if they're playing a packed beer joint on a Saturday night: while there are plenty of tearjerking moments here,
Day of the Doug is essentially a party, a celebration not only of a musical titan but
Son Volt's own virtues. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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