Reviews

Thirdshiftgrottoslack – Jay Farrar

Label: Artemis Records

Belonging to that same ‘I’m not going to open my mouth too much for fear of something ordinary falling out’ bronkin’ band of brothers as Mike Nesmith and Beck Hansen – Jay Farrar spits and drawls his way through a gritty 5 tracks of visceral alterna-country; inebriate but tuneful, incisive but happy.

Pitched somewhere between Neil Young and Bob Dylan, a deliriously psychedelic Mike Nesmith and with the awkward tenderness of a young Michael Stipe, ‘ThirdShiftGrottoSlack’ is four tracks of previously unreleased material by the former Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt leader that’s been a little cynically reintroduced with a spurious ‘Damn Shame Memphis remix’ – a track from Farrar’s marvellously well received ‘Sebastapol’ album that both binds and splinters this EP new release – if you get what I mean.

‘Station to Station’ is a smokey, upbeat obscurants dream with a melting, tender chorus whilst ‘Kind of Madness’ recalls the fabulously grotesque urbanism of the Monkees’ Head soundtrack with outtakes of Thunderclap Newman – heaps of cultural observations and smart-ass conceits.

Produced by Beck, Elliot Smith and Badly Drawn Boy engineer/producer, Tom Rothrock, ‘ThirdShiftGrottoSlack’ may seem a trifle over derivative at times, but it’s an ultimately worthwhile pursuit with some beautifully crafted moments.

Release: Jay Farrar - Thirdshiftgrottoslack
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Released: 20 September 2002