ThirdShiftGrottoSlack
Jay Farrar'sSebastopolwas easily among the finest rock releases of 2001, an eclectic showcase of theUncle TupeloandSon Voltfounder's rough and smoky voice, willfully obscure lyrics, slow-churning rhythms, and petulant melodies.Sebastopolis Farrar's most accessible work to date--and his most adventurous, bringing keyboards, loops, and sampled strings into the mix. It sounds a bit likeSteve EarleandCrazy Horsecollaborating with folk-blues deconstructionists and studio wizardsCalifone.ThirdShiftGrottoSlackconsists of four songs originally slated to appear onSebastopol, but that were cut for space. From the sparse,Palace-like "Greenwich  Time" to the beautiful, elegiac "Station to Station," these cuts perfectly  complement that splendid, slow-churning album. The fifth tune is the real  winner, a remix by celeb producer Tom Rothrock of one ofSebastopol's  strongest cuts; it's a slinky, Big Beat-ish version of "Damn Shame" that  suggests new avenues for Farrar to explore.--Mike McGonigal