When
Mark Olson parted ways with
the Jayhawks in 1996, the band responded with 1997's
Sound of Lies, one of their scrappiest and most eclectic albums. It was as if
the Jayhawks (in particular
Gary Louris) wanted to show the world they were still strong and lively despite the departure of one of their co-founders.
Olson returned to
the Jayhawks for the 2011 reunion album
Mockingbird Time, only to leave the band again on less than cordial terms. Released in 2016,
Paging Mr. Proust is the first
Jayhawks studio project since, and once again it finds
Louris and his bandmates mixing up their formula, introducing new edges and angles to the group's evocative, lonesome Midwestern sound.
Louris adds lots of jagged guitar to the loop-based construction of "Ace," while "Lost the Summer" is a lean, ominous rocker with a noisy attack. ("Pretty Roses in Your Hair" is another, more subtle tune built around a ghostly drum loop.) Much of the time,
Louris' vocals and melodies follow the template he's established in the past, but there's a fresh degree of energy in these performances.
Peter Buck and
Tucker Martine (who co-produced the album with
Louris) have given the guitars an edgier and less pastoral sound than one might expect from
the Jayhawks.
Neil Young is still the clear inspiration behind
Louris' soloing, but here the tone is sharper and the crunch has more impact, even when the songs are gentle at heart. The yin and yang between the sharp guitar work from
Louris and
Kraig Johnson and the sweetness of the harmonies of
Louris, keyboard player
Karen Grotberg, and drummer
Tim O'Reagan is honestly satisfying. And co-producer
Buck has brought along some friends from his days in
R.E.M., including
Mike Mills and
Scott McCaughey. All in all,
Paging Mr. Proust is an album that honors the traditions of
the Jayhawks but isn't afraid to play with convention. And if
Mockingbird Time was a reminder of how well
Olson and
Louris complement one another, this album demonstrates that
Louris still knows how to make a memorable album as the group's sole leader. [
Paging Mr. Proust was also released on LP.] ~ Mark Deming