Son Volt were alt-country pioneers. Rustic guitars blend with pedal steel as tenderhearted small-town heroes navigate tear-stained narratives. The band occasionally cranks its amps to summon punk rock's rowdiness, but Jay Farrar's gorgeous, limber voice always serves as anchor—it's an instrument that will keep you company in any storm. Full of loyalty and longing, these are songs on which indie rock outcasts and country gentlemen can all agree.