As a devout Jayhawks fan, one who has spent countless hours with the band’s discography, it wouldn’t be fair to call this album a return to form. The band has spent 40 years weaving in and out myriad popular music moments, from alt-country to baroque pop, Gram Parsons to Brian Wilson, never losing their form. But there is a “bringing it all back home” feeling on the band’s 12th long-player, Sanctuary Park (out 8/28 via Thirty Tigers).
Legendary producer Bob Ezrin returns to the production chair for the first time since 2000’s Smile. It’s a welcome reunion that can be felt within the first moments of the lead single, “Keeping Our Heads Above Water.” It’s a familiar mid-tempo strummer with a top-tier chorus, marrying some of Gary Louris’ finest writing since Rainy Day Music with a crisp, nuanced sheen.
“Kingston Girl” keeps things rolling with something a little more classic rock, recalling Buckingham-Nicks era Fleetwood Mac.
“Mr. Lincoln” gives us a taste of the exceptional lead vocal stylings of drummer Tim O’Reagan. It’s an acoustic-forward track recalling Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance work, replete with some stellar baroque piano from Karen Grotberg. “Hands Upon The Wheel” kicks things off with an a cappella intro straight from the Eagles playbook. The middle of the album keeps things moving with a loose, freewheeling energy, anchored by tight harmonies and buoyant bass grooves via Marc Perlman.
The penultimate track, “It’ll Be Alright Tonight,” gives us a nice dose of pedal steel from the jump, recalling some of the Jayhawks’ earliest days as a straightforward alt-country band. “Rowing The Boat” closes the affair with an Anglo-folk indebted acoustic number, simple and understated. Ultimately, that is the charm that has given the Jayhawks their longevity: a band always dedicated to the craft, mining disparate influences, and churning them into something familiar, memorable, and undeniably them.
