In 1997 I saw Son Volt at the Fillmore in San Francisco on their Straightaways tour, and they were great. The show introduced me to opening act Varnaline fronted convincingly by this guy Anders Parker. I caught a couple of Farrar's solo shows in the years that followed. Each stripped down, largely acoustic set showcased Farrar's voice and guitar playing - always underestimated - and the strong supporting role of sideman Parker. Like you, I sensed the possibility of something new, something which now has a name. Gob Iron.
I looked it up. Gob Iron is old fashioned folksy British slang for harmonica. Not that it makes the name any less awful. I think it was chosen to keep with Farrar's penchant for unlikely sounding three letters then four while referencing the arcane musical name (Son Volt). Coincidence? Probably.
Death Songs fits nicely into Farrar's catalog as a possible bookend to Uncle Tupelo's March 16-20, 1992. It is simple, moving, clear and heart-felt folk music offering new reads on old tunes and themes. The album's structure situates brief instrumentals between each proper song acting as prelude to sepia toned portraits of the way friends used to - and thankfully still do - make music.
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