“Back Roads and Abandoned Motels” (Legacy) could be written off as the sound of the Jayhawks cleaning house, but it’s something more. Primary songwriter Gary Louris collects songs he’s written with and for other artists, including the Dixie Chicks and Jakob Dylan, and repurposes them for his longtime Minneapolis band. Not surprisingly, Louris and his band make these odds and sods sound like their own. All of the artists with and for whom Louris wrote these songs sound like kindred spirits who meld the same rock, country and folk influences that have long formed the foundation of the Jayhawks.
The band’s rustic roots flourished in the ’80s and early ’90s with Louris and Mark Olson sharing the songwriting and lead vocals, but by the mid-’90s, Olson had departed and Louris subtly expanded the band’s musical vision to incorporate rock and psychedelic influences. Ever since, including a brief reunion with Olson, the band has maintained a steady consistency while building a finely tuned musical conversation: Louris’ ultra-melodic songwriting sensibilities and arching vocals; Marc Perlman’s steadying bass; Karen Grotberg’s understated keyboards; a warm mix of acoustic and electric instruments.
The only song approaching a hit in this collection is the Dixie Chicks’ “Everybody Knows,” and the Jayhawks give it a Byrds-like feel, circa “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” with acoustic instruments embellished by co-ed harmonies. Another Chicks’ tune, “Bitter End,” serves as a kind of emotional barometer of this album’s intimate, elegiac feel.
Grotberg’s understated lead vocal helps Louris reclaim “Come Cryin’ to Me” from Natalie Maines’ post-Chicks solo album, peppered with horns that turn this potentially maudlin song into a breezy pop tune. Framed by an evocative string arrangement, Grotberg also paves the way on the haunting “El Dorado,” originally performed by Carrie Rodriguez.
The latter half of the album leans toward more introspective material, where the band’s after-hours interplay suits the down-tempo material. Louris completes the outing with two new songs, companion pieces of sorts that portray a relationship at its buoyant beginning and its tragic end. “Carry You to Safety” feels like bliss, dancing with a wordless Louris vocal melody. “Leaving Detroit” is the flipside, a violent parting amid the detritus of a dying city. It’s a devastating capper to an album that’s more than just a bunch of recycled songs.
Greg Kot is a Tribune critic.
greg@gregkot.com
Twitter @chitribent
3 stars (out of 4)
“Back Roads and Abandoned Motels” (Legacy)
Jayhawks
