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Although it’s far from cheerful, The Search is a strong album with excellent musicianship, thoughtful, passionate lyrics, plaintive vocals, and a good mix. There’s an exotic blend of instruments, including Jay Farrar on bouzouki and Brad Rice on sitar, which significantly contributes to the haunting quality of the music.
It opens up with “Slow Hearse.” This one sounds exactly like you might imagine. There’s some very nice keyboard and guitar work, but the riffs are extremely repetitive, and it’s pretty dismal (even by slow hearse standards). Things pick up a bit with “The Picture.” This is a danceable number with a wonderfully rich horn section, featuring Chris Deusinger on sax and Keith Moyer on trumpet. The title track is also danceable, with some fine guitar work, a nice strong bass line, and a good beat. “Adrenaline and Heresy” and “Methamphetamine” made me want to slit my wrists. (And I have to give a healthy nod to any music capable of evoking such a powerful reaction.) “Automatic Society” is more upbeat with some strong percussion and big angst. “L Train” and “Highways and Cigarettes” have a distinctive and refreshing Nashville twang. The latter features some buttery backup vocals by Shannon McNally.
The sound and energy here are reminiscent, at times, of Neil Young. And plenty of strong political undertones make The Search a very intense listen. This is perfect music for when you’re in the mood to think.
