Aural Fixations

THE JAYHAWKS
Rainy Day Music
(American/Lost Highway)
The Jayhawks are one of the most beloved bands in the new roots rock/alternative country wave of the 90s. Though the Minneapolis band could more accurately be placed in the original batch of nuevo roots rockers of the 80s (its first album came out in 1986 and its landmark second album Blue Earth hit the shelves a year before Uncle Tupelo's first record arrived), the 'hawks' music—simple, direct, earthy—has virtually defined the aesthetic of the No Depression/alt.country crowd. The irony of this, of course, is that the band has become less and less informed by country and folk as it's evolved. After co-frontman Mark Olson left in 1995, his former partner Gary Louris began guiding the group in a more pop direction, with more blatant hooks and brighter, lusher production. This approach culminated in 2000's Smile; produced by Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, etc.), the album sported the band's biggest, busiest production sound yet, with electronic accents, a ton of overdubs and sonic frippery filling up every inch of space. The 'hawks' songwriting is such that no amount of gewgaws can obscure its inherent tunefulness or emotional directness, but Smile was a long way from the sparse sonics of Blue Earth or Hollywood Town Hall.

Whether it's the result of Smile failing in its objective to make the band more popular or simply because Louris and company needed a change, the Jayhawks have decided to retrench a bit on their latest album Rainy Day Music. Working with Ryan Adams' producer Ethan Johns, the band has stripped its sound back down to its basic components: guitars, a basic rhythm section and vocal harmonies. Officially pared down to the trio of guitarist Louris, bassist Marc Perlman and drummer Tim O'Reagan, with former Long Ryder Stephen McCarthy filling the same multi-instrumentalist role as Scott MacCaughey does with R.E.M., the 'hawks eschew the lush atmospheres and electronic tricks of Smile in favor of a largely acoustic, live-in-the-studio approach. O'Reagan and Perlman make their presence known just enough to move the beat along, but otherwise stay out of the way; Louris and McCarthy confine themselves mostly to acoustic strumming, with Johns associate Richard Causon adding subtle bits of piano and organ to add color. With mostly midtempo arrangements that highlight the melodies and vocal harmonies over anything else, the record has an intimate, almost confessional sound; these tunes would sound just as good performed on a couple of six-strings in someone's living room as they would onstage. It's an approach that suits the Jayhawks well.

Of course, no amount of sonic rearrangement would mean anything unless the songs were good. Fortunately, on Rainy Day Music Louris, O'Reagan and Perlman have some of the best of their long career. Though many fans will see the melodies as a return to the country rock of old, in truth, the musicians are writing the same kind of tunes they always have, easily adaptable to a pop or country approach, depending on one's direction. The bare-bones feel of the arrangements lets the songs stand on their own, without any particular genre preference. As usual, the main subjects here are unrequited romance and love gone wrong—the great inspirations of songwriters everywhere. "One Man's Problem" finds Louris lamenting the one who got away to the point of unhealthy obsession; his bandmates' dulcet harmonies keep him from sounding like a stalker. The half-pleading/half-defiant "Angelyne" and "The Eyes of SarahJane" continue the venerable tradition of great pop tunes that use girls' names; the heartbreak evident in the vocals makes one wonder if the titular subjects are more than just products of the writers' imaginations. "Come to the River," the closest thing to an out-and-out rock song with its gnarly slide guitar, hints at more carnal thoughts, though the folk rocking "You Look So Young," while aching with desire, seems to want to deny those impulses. O'Reagan's contributions "Don't Let the World Get In Your Way" and "Tampa To Tulsa" are two of the album's loveliest ballads, with superb harmonies. The mournful "Stumbling in the Dark" both begins and ends the album in electric and acoustic versions, respectively, and it's such a good song that the repetition is warranted. The yin-yang of the downhearted "Tailspin" and the smiling "Save It For a Rainy Day" represents the best of the 'hawks' rootsy pop: catchy, heartfelt and immediate singalongs. Cut for cut, this may be the Jayhawks' most consistent album in their consistently strong career. (more)

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