The Jayhawks
Hollywood Town Hall

THE REVIEW

The year was 1992 when the Jayhawks released their third album, which can be considered, along with the subsequent "Tomorrow the Green Grass," their artistic peak. With this work, the Jayhawks firmly place themselves among the most influential bands of the 1990s American alt. country scene, alongside Wilco (notably: "Summerteeth") and Uncle Tupelo ("No Depression"). To highlight the closeness between these artists, it's worth noting the project that Gary Louris and Jeff Tweedy pursued, simultaneously with their commitments to their respective bands, called Golden Smog, which has released three albums (the last one in 2006).

Returning to the album in question, "Hollywood Town Hall" was the first to be published by a major record label, American Recordings; the first two, despite having a decent impact among enthusiasts, did not manage to bring the Jayhawks the attention they deserved. However, this did not impede their creativity: on the contrary, Mark Olson and Gary Louris, the leaders of the group, demonstrated appreciable maturity and fresh composition. I will say right away, without delving into an analytical description of each track, that this is a very evocative album. In particular, from it, akin to a preliminary sketch of a famous painting, the scents and sensations of the American countryside emerge with clear brightness. It’s a "warm" album, rich in tube-amp sounds and perfect vocal harmonies (almost every piece is sung in two voices): characteristics that make it a perfect soundtrack for (cathartic) summer journeys, or winter afternoons spent by the warmth of the fireplace. What stands out the most, making the sound of the Jayhawks unmistakable, is the homogeneity of the sounds: guitars, harmonica, and Hammond blend perfectly, as if to enhance, if needed, the intense lyricism of the sung parts.

In any case, among others, standouts include "Waiting for the Sun", the calling card of the entire album, where the peculiarities that will accompany subsequent listening remain intact; "Crowded in the Wings", a ballad with deep emotional traits, masterfully underscored by the Hammond; or again "Take Me with You (When You Go)", with its lively and immediate riff; or "Nevada, California", which contains the verse (almost a compendium of the entire album from a sensory evocation perspective) "Can you help me to find Nevada, California", the last stop of an imaginary journey from Minneapolis, their city of origin, heading westward.

In reality, it's not about highlighting potential "singles," but simply about emphasizing the songs most dear to me. Indeed, if you intend to listen to the album proposed here, you can relax and forget the possibility of skipping any song, given the undeniable value of every single note. After the Jayhawks will churn out another valuable album in 1995; however, the subsequent work is more influenced by pop and less by country, which probably led to the withdrawal of rhythm guitarist and vocalist Mark Olson.

Sincerely, Lautrec