Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
The Jayhawks, Legacy Recordings/Sony Music 2018.
For more than three decades the Jayhawks’ melodic, harmony-rich blend of rock, folk, and country have earned them consistent praise and a substantial following.
Back roads and abandoned motels is the band’s 10th studio album and sets nine songs co-written by front man and songwriter, Gary Louris, and other artists alongside two of Louris’ latest compositions.
The album was recorded in two sessions in 2017 at Flowers Studio in Minneapolis and produced by Louris, John Jackson and Ed Ackerson.
The album’s song list includes songs originally released by a variety of artists ranging from The Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, Scott Thomas, Carrie Rodriguez and Ari Hest.
It also includes a song he wrote and performed with Jakob Dylan for the True blood: Music from the original series – Volume 3 album.
In addition to these tracks there are also two that were written by Louris – one with Wild Feathers (Backwards Women) and the other with Emerson Hart of Tonic (Long Time Ago) which were never recorded.
Gary is joined by Natalie Maines on Come Cryin’, Jakob Dylan on Gonna Be A Darkness, Emily Robison on Bitter End and Joel King, Taylor Burns and Ricky Young on Backwards Women.
Long Time Ago is a duet with Emerson Hart, Need You Tonight is with Scott Thomas and Kristen Hall, El Dorado with Carrie Rodriguez and Bird Never Flies a duet with Ari Hest.
The two new songs, sung by Gary Louris, are Carry You To Safety and Leaving Detroit.
Louris’ ability to write a catchy melody or hook laden chorus has made him a go-to collaborator.
He co-wrote four songs on The Dixie Chicks Grammy Award winning album, Taking The Long Way, which was released in 2006, and later contributed to Mother, the solo debut by Natalie Maines’ the The Dixie Chicks lead singer.
This album is an easy listening collection of some of Louris’ best work.
It’s a little bit of country, mixed with folk, and soft rock.
The short recording time frame has helped the album gain some freshness and vitality.
