The Jayhawks -- Hollywood Town Hall

(Def American 26829)

All of the best Jayhawks songs sounds like they were recorded at 1 a.m. in a Montana roadhouse after two fights and about a dozen broken hearts. That’s why the third disc from this band (who are actually from Minnesota) is a little alarming at first with its clean production and relatively lush layers of sound.

But even though Hollywood Town Hall has organ playing and a new, fuzzed out lead guitar, the basic charm of the band is held intact. The harmonies are still ragged and the songs still have plaintive titles like "Wichita," "Nevada, California" and "Sister Cry."

Where 1989’s Blue Earth (on A&M / Twin Tone, highly recommended) had a strong Neil Young / Gram Parsons undercurrent, this latest effort leans toward (and this shouldn’t be interpreted as criticism) early-’70’s country-rock such as Poco or the even earlier Buffalo Springfield.

The opener, "Waiting For the Sun," "Take Me With You (When You Go)," "Sister Cry" and "Nevada, California" are the strongest of the 10 assembled here -- made strong by fresh country melodies, nighttime road-trip lyrics and -- just when everything starts sounding a little too nice and pleasant -- some satisfyingly scratchy lead guitar.

What the Jayhawks end up tapping into is something genuine and pure, definitely outside the mold of today’s MTV buzzpap. Like a tattered map of Montana with blue ink blots here and there marking roadhouses where you remembered seeing great country bands on long-ago nights.

-- Greg Schneider (a.k.a. Derek Chandler) /Catharsis #28, Nov. 1992