[rating=9.00]
Suffice it to say, Back Roads and Abandoned Motels is the strongest Jayhawks album since their seminal classic Tomorrow the Green Grass, an album that helped establish the original template for the sound now widely referred to as Americana. That’s not a claim that can be made lightly. However, it’s praise well deserved, proof that a band that set the standard originally is still poised to maintain that high bar.
Granted, there’s a reason why this album is as good as it is. Most of these songs were composed for outside entities by the man who currently resides at the helm of this fabled outfit, Gary Louris. The list of those with whom he collaborated is an impressive one — Jakob Dylan, Natalie Maines, Emerson Hart, Carrie Rodriguez, and Ari Heist all share collaborative credits here. Wisely, Louris chose not to abandon them or simply cede them to those outside entities they represent. Indeed, it would have been a shame to prevent songs such as the rousing “Everybody Knows,” the thoughtful “Gonna Be a Darkness” or emphatic entreaties like “Bitter End” and “Backwards Women” from getting the second hearing they deserve. And given the able assist of Jayhawks regulars Marc Perlman, Tim O’Regan, Karen Grotberg, and newcomer John Jackson, the material finds the right fit within the band’s trademark template. It’s unassuming sound, but one that’s immersed with a largess that allows each offering to become a singular standout.
Sadly, the one individual who no longer plays a role in the ensemble’s efforts is Marc Olson. Louris and Olson are estranged now, and there’s little chance the two will ever reconcile. Still, listening to these bittersweet tomes and the harmonies that waft through “Need You Tonight, “Bird Never Flies” and ”Carry You to Safety,” one of two new songs Louris wrote specifically for the album, indicates that the parting of ways hasn’t had a detrimental effect on either individual. Olson is still making music that reflects his generally wistful perspective, and Louris clearly seems content to carry on without him. The band’s role as the backing band on Ray Davies’ two recent Americana albums confirms their credence. Not surprisingly then, the new material finds a clear fit with seminal Jayhawks classics like “Blue” and “Waiting for the Sun,” songs that set the standard early on.
Back Roads and Abandoned Motels proves that the Jayhawks’ legacy still endures, even decades past the period when they were at their peak and prime. Clearly then, they’re still soaring and finding their way back to the place where they belong.
