Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
Studio album by
The Jayhawks
ReleasedJuly 13, 2018 (2018-07-13)
StudioFlowers Studio, Minneapolis, Minnesota
GenreRock
LabelLegacy Recordings
ProducerGary Louris, John Jackson, Ed Ackerson
The Jayhawks chronology
Paging Mr. Proust
(2016)		 Back Roads and Abandoned Motels
(2018)		 XOXO
(2020)

Back Roads and Abandoned Motels is the tenth studio album by the alt country band the Jayhawks, released on July 13, 2018.[1][2]

Background

Along with two new songs written by Gary Louris, the album mainly features songs co-written by Louris for previous projects. They include "Come Cryin' to Me" (Natalie Maines' album Mother); "Everybody Knows" and "Bitter End" (Dixie Chicks' album Taking the Long Way); "Gonna Be a Darkness" (Jakob Dylan); "Bird Never Flies" (Ari Hest); "Need You Tonight" (Scott Thomas); "El Dorado" (Carrie Rodriguez); "Backwards Women" (The Wild Feathers) and "Long Time Ago" (Emerson Hart).[3] "These [songs] did not feel like covers," Louris said. "These songs all felt like they were in our wheelhouse."[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [4]
American Songwriter [5]
PopMatters [6]

In his review for Allmusic, critic Mark Deming wrote the album "finds Louris and his bandmates mixing up their formula, introducing new edges and angles to the group's evocative, lonesome Midwestern sound." and "this album demonstrates that Louris still knows how to make a memorable album as the group's sole leader."[4] PopMatters called the album "a triumph" and "All of the classic signifiers of a Jayhawks album are here—the sublime harmonies, the folk-rock jangle, the wry takes on relationships, and an eye always tuned to the impermanence of things—but with Karen Grotberg and Tim O'Reagan each taking lead on two of the album's cuts, the band plays with a looser confidence than they've previously captured in the studio."[6]

Track listing

  1. "Come Cryin' to Me" (Gary Louris, Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison) – 3:41
  2. "Everybody Knows" (Louris, Maines, Robison, Maguire) – 4:09
  3. "Gonna Be a Darkness" (Jakob Dylan, Louris) – 4:58
  4. "Bitter End" (Robison, Maines, Louris, Maguire) – 4:16
  5. "Backwards Women" (Louris, Joel King, Taylor Burns, Ricky Young) – 3:36
  6. "Long Time Ago" (Emerson Hart, Louris) – 3:57
  7. "Need You Tonight" (Scott Thomas, Louris, Kristen Hall) – 3:17
  8. "El Dorado" (Carrie Rodriguez, Louris, Malcolm Burn, Sandra Jennifer (Sandrine) Daniels) – 4:06
  9. "Bird Never Flies" (Ari Hest, Louris) – 3:54
  10. "Carry You to Safety" (Louris) – 5:24
  11. "Leaving Detroit" (Louris) – 4:12

Personnel

  • Gary Louris – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Marc Perlman – bass
  • Tim O'Reagan – vocals, drums, percussion
  • Karen Grotberg – vocals, piano, keys
  • John Jackson – mandolin, violin, guitar

Production

  • Gary Louris – producer
  • John Jackson – producer
  • Ed Ackerson – producer, percussion

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 91
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] 100
Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] 28
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[10] 24
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 94

References

  1. 1 2 Robert Crawford (May 22, 2018). "Hear the Jayhawks Revisit Dixie Chicks' 'Everybody Knows'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  2. ↑ Reece Jamison (May 22, 2018). "The Jayhawks Reveal Plans For New Album Backroads And Abandoned Motels". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ Legacy Recordings
  4. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "Back Roads and Abandoned Motels > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  5. ↑ Horowitz, Hal. "Back Roads and Abandoned Motels > Review". American Songwriter. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Whitelock, Ed. ""'Back Roads and Abandoned Motels' Is the Jayhawks' Most Enjoyable Record Since 'Rainy Day Music'"". PopMatters. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 29: del 13.7.2018 al 19.7.2018" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Jayhawks – Back Roads and Abandoned Motels". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
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