Song of the Year: Methamphetamine by Son Volt

You could be forgiven if you didn't realize Son Volt put out a really good album (The Search) in 2007. The band, fronted by Jay Farrar, Uncle Tupelo's more nasal half, has been so overshadowed by Wilco since Farrar and Tweedy's fork in the road that their very existence has been called into question of late. While Wilco steers ever further from its twangy roots, with wildly varied results, Son Volt stays grounded in them, a stubbornness that resulted in the gorgeous "Methamphetamine," a haunting, road-weary tune that plays like the straighter passages of a Michael Perry memoir. In a memorable year in music, it stands out as my favorite track. Which, I suppose, makes it the best song of 2007 -- to me, at least.