Notes of Blue
by Son Volt
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. AllMusic
    Feb 16, 2017
    60
    Committed fans and casual admirers will find Notes of Blue worth a listen, but ultimately this is the work of an artist who has done better with similar ingredients in the past.
  2. American Songwriter
    Feb 21, 2017
    80
    Son Volt doesn’t try anything fancy on Notes In Blue, nor does it need to. It simply puts the spotlight on the frontman and lets him knock every one of these songs high into the stormy skies and right out of the park.
  3. Blurt Magazine
    Feb 27, 2017
    60
    The mix of blues, with their standard, folk and country is a nice addition, but may not be enough to win over folks who aren’t already Son Volt devotees.
  5. Classic Rock Magazine
    Mar 13, 2017
    70
    There’s gold to be uncovered here.
  6. Dusted Magazine
    Feb 23, 2017
    80
    Farrar, with his ever-changing band, has been doing this decades, but it seems like by looking back further, he’s found a way to energize himself going forward.
  7. Exclaim
    Feb 14, 2017
    70
    Notes of Blue is a solid effort overall; here's to riding the wave of change and surprise as Farrar's songwriting continues to evolve.
  8. Mojo
    Feb 21, 2017
    80
    Sometimes it's more about a blues feeling, encompassing high-lonesome, electric country-blues rock, two-chord garage rock and at its most beautiful on the opening track Promise The World. [Apr 2017, p.94]
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  9. Record Collector
    Feb 14, 2017
    80
    Farrar’s a reluctant figurehead for the down there and downtrodden. There are no gilded towers here, no tyrannies of elitist plutocrats, just the open highway and a ride in an old boneshaker with an engine leaking hopes and dreams.
  10. Slant Magazine
    Feb 14, 2017
    70
    After that opening salvo, though, Notes of Blue is driven more by stylistic immersion than a renaissance of Trace-level songwriting. While this results in the occasional lapse into bland formula (namely the joyless dirge “Midnight” and the drifty acoustic piece “Cairo and Southern”), Farrar for the most part sounds utterly invigorated by his new sense of direction.
  11. The Independent (UK)
    Feb 15, 2017
    80
    A brave, and welcome, transformation.
  12. The Line of Best Fit
    Feb 15, 2017
    70
    Sometimes the electricity is there, and when it is it connects deeply, but when it doesn't it's hard to see past the banality of its structure.
  13. Uncut
    Feb 14, 2017
    80
    It may just be the most satisfying record he's made since the group's stellar 1995 debut. [Mar 2017, p.24]
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  14. Under The Radar
    Mar 1, 2017
    70
    Anguish is only half the tone, and its match is found--there is snarl and there is bite in Notes of Blue.

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Most Shared Album of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. molecular
    Mar 6, 2017
    8
    This album is a welcome return to form even with the overt blues condescension. The first two songs are classic Son Volt and easily theThis album is a welcome return to form even with the overt blues condescension. The first two songs are classic Son Volt and easily the best. Jay Farrar can sing and play the blues though.… Full Review »
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