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Trace is the first album by Son Volt, released in 1995. The band was formed the previous year by Jay Farrar after the breakup of the influential alt-country band Uncle Tupelo. The album reached #166 on the Billboard 200 album chart and received extremely favorable reviews. According to AllMusic, "Throughout Son Volt's debut, Trace, the group reworks classic honky tonk and rock & roll, adding a desperate, determined edge to their performances. Even when they rock out, there is a palpable sense of melancholy to Farrar's voice, which lends a poignancy to the music." AmericanaUK calls Trace, "A graceful masterpiece, a positive turning of the page for Farrar, and a gentle reminder of the power and long-lasting influence of Uncle Tupelo."[11] "The album was in the top 10 of Rolling Stone's 1995 critics' list.

Trace
Studio album by Son Volt
Released	September 19, 1995 (1995-09-19)
Recorded	November–December 1994
Studio	Salmagundi, Northfield, MN
Genre	Alternative country
Length	42:07
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Brian Paulson, Son Volt
Son Volt chronology
Trace (1995) Straightaways (1997)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	A[2]
Houston Chronicle	[3]
Mojo	[4]
NME	8/10[5]
Paste	9.5/10[6]
PopMatters	9/10[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
Uncut	9/10[9]
The Village Voice	C+[10]

"Drown" was a minor college and rock radio hit. It charted at #10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[12] It remains their only single to land on either of the charts.

Track listing

All songs written by Farrar except "Mystifies Me", written by Ronnie Wood.

1. "Windfall" – 2:58
2. "Live Free" – 3:13
3. "Tear Stained Eye" – 4:21
4. "Route" – 3:57
5. "Ten Second News" – 3:57
6. "Drown" – 3:20
7. "Loose String" – 3:48
8. "Out of the Picture" – 3:50
9. "Catching On" – 4:02
10. "Too Early" – 4:29
11. "Mystifies Me" – 4:12

Personnel

• Dave Boquist - guitar, banjo, fiddle, lap steel guitar, dobro
• Jim Boquist - bass, backing vocals
• Jay Farrar - vocals, guitar
• Mike Heidorn - drums
• Eric Heywood - pedal steel guitar
• Craig Krampf - drums on "Live Free"
• Dan Newton - accordion on "Too Early"
• Marc Perlman - bass on "Mystifies Me"

References

• Holly George-Warren and Patricia Romanowski, ed. (2005). "Son Volt". The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York, New York: Fireside. pp. 911–912. ISBN 978-0-7432-9201-6.

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