[04.02] "Caught between two worlds/Don't want to be fenced in," sings Jay Farrar in "Voodoo Candle," a stand-out track from his debut solo album. What could be a better career summation of the restless Mr. Farrar, who has led and left two of the finest American bands of the last 10 years, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. In the tradition of "Americana" granddaddy Neil Young, when Farrar gets bored with his sound he moves in a new direction.

On Sebastopol (subtitled:"A Project"), Farrar collaborates with The Flaming Lips' sound architect, keyboardist Steve Drodze, to create the aural equivalent of a John Ford Western: Alt. Country in Cinemascope. Even though Drodze doesn't play on every track, The Flaming Lips' influence is evident throughout the recording. On many of the best tracks the distinctive keyboards and big drums sound that you may remember from the Lips' "The Soft Bulletin" drive Farrar's woody whine of a voice to greater levels of expression than he has previously achieved. The collaboration also allows Farrar to experiment with odd, almost Indian-like guitar tunings, thus adding to the Cosmic Cowboy feel of the recording. The one drawback here is that perhaps some of his guitar drones are a bit noodly. It's not all exotica, though. Just to show that he hasn't entirely abandoned the country of country, Farrar is joined by roots music darlings Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on "Barstow," one of the best down and out honky-tonkers I've heard in a while.

As always, Farrar is an interesting lyricist, bouncing back and forth between the precise and opaque: "The devil bought the key to Branson/Drives a back hoe and wears a gold chain"("Barstow"), sometimes opaque, "Parabolic louvre lighting/you really gotta have some"("Feed Kill Chain"). The basic themes throughout seem to be cautious optimism in the face of an inherent pessimism. A paradox? You bet! But as Farrar sings, "I know you're gonna make it alright."
—Ken