Kevin
Mathews:
April,
2002

The Jayhawks: Crawling from the Wreckage

Isn't it strange that quite often the best pop music is made in the worst of times? Think of classics such as Tonight's the Night (Neil Young); Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan) or Shoot Out The Lights (Richard & Linda Thompson), albums that were wrought out of tragedy and heartbreak. To all intents and purposes, the fifth Jayhawks LP should not have happened. After co-founder Mark Olson left in 1996 to pursue a solo career and also to dedicate more time to nurse his ailing spouse Victoria Williams, there seemed nothing else for the remaining members viz Karen Grothberg (Piano, Vocals); Tim O'Reagan (Drums, Vocals); Gary Louris (Guitars, Vocals) and Marc Perlman (Bass) to do except call it a day and bring the curtain down on the Jayhawks. And it would have been a good time to end too as the previous album Tomorrow the Green Grass had been very well received and was critically revered.

But quite obviously the remaining Jayhawks had other ideas and the magnificent Sound of Lies was the result. Certainly the 13 tracks on this milestone effort more than justified the blood, sweat, tears and faith invested in their creation.

Tomorrow the Green Grass had established the Jayhawks' claim to a leadership position in the "No Depression" new country rock movement, this movement's prime inspiration being the late great Gram Parsons. However, Sound of Lies completely overturned the cart and upset all previous notions and preconceptions of the Jayhawks' raison d’être. Not that it ventured into drum n bass territory mind you but from the opening sombre piano notes of “The Man Who Loved Life,” not to mention its melancholy tone - " If thou shalt give/Thou shalt be deceived ", it was clear that songwriters Louris and Perlman had decided to pen a whole new chapter for the Jayhawks' oeuvre. Apparently, without Olson's pseudo-roots leanings, the band had opened up a rawer, more visceral vein that recalled the harder edged style of Dylan, Lennon and Young.

This is evident on the superb “Trouble” and “Think About It” where fuzzy neo-psychedelic guitars suggest a less than comfortable existence. The former is poignantly Beatlesque right down to the George Harrison-like solo and may be described as Radiohead without the gimmicky effects and tricks and the latter ups the ante with some handy "borrowing" of Sonic Youth-styled dissidence.

Elsewhere, we encounter the easy breezy folk of “It's Up To You,” the trad lament of “Stick in the Mud,” the steely slickness of “Sixteen Down,” the spare charm of O'Reagan's “Bottomless Cup” (brilliantly conjuring The Replacements) and the funky soul of “I Hear You Cry.” Two other cuts stand out. The garage rocker Big Star recalls the Byrds' “So You Wanna Be A Rock n Roll Star” except that this time Louris seems to be singing about himself - "A has been at a mere 35". Bitterly ironic, the choice of title is a masterstroke name-checking the greatest underachievers in pop history. The title track is a reflective acoustic number where Louris comes across like Neil Young - Grothberg's moody mellotron seals the moment - "Mama said it'll work out right" Louris assures us (or himself). Much can be said about the tortured lyrics on Sound of Lies, which revolve around the miserable pain of failed relationships. Whether Louris addresses lines like" There's a little truth in every lie"; "Are you a victim or a small time crook"; " Who says that this is the end "; "She says 'Leave me alone', I said 'Take me home'"; " We could tell each other lies"; "I think I let you down" or "It was the blind leading the blind" to a former lover (Louris had suffered the trauma of divorce prior to writing these words) or a musical partner (Olson) is moot.

The fact remains that the truth behind the emotion cannot be underestimated or trivialised - and that is the ultimate strength of Sound of Lies. "Sound of Lies rings funny against the truth" For the Jayhawks, the whole point of Sound of Lies was honesty. Frazzled, burned and rough at the edges, there was no affectation and no pretence at work here, only a genuine love for their craft that exceeded and outweighed commercial considerations. What you heard is what you got. Any doubts about the Jayhawks’ right to carry on after Mark Olson was no longer an issue after Sound of Lies and even though the album failed to get its just desserts when the American label went belly up soon after its release, the Jayhawks bounced back yet again with the wonderful Smile in 2000.

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