Dark Country

Gary Louris, the once and future leader of the Jayhawks, chose to release his third solo album, 2025s Dark Country, on Valentines Day. It feels fitting, since its a collection of songs about love dedicated to his wife and recorded in the house they share. Then again, if youre looking for music that will soundtrack a grand romantic evening, this might not be what you want. Dark Country is indeed about love, but its not about the happy and peppy variety thats the stuff of pop songs. Instead, Dark Country concerns itself with the sort of love that comes with time and devotion: "Getting Older" pointedly reminds us relationships dont always get easier with time, while "By Your Side" and "Helping Hand" are more positive while also speaking of how marriage is a two-way street where both partners have to support one another. This all befits the outlook of a guy who was a month away from turning 70 when this was released, and the production and arrangements are purposefully spare, with most featuring just Louris at his guitar, piano, and harmonica. Louris doesnt hesitate to acknowledge his influences here; several cuts recall Neil Young in his After the Gold Rush/Harvest era, and "Perfect Day" is a striking evocation of Gene Clark, sounding lush compared to the rest of the LP with its banks of synthesizers and spectral backing vocals. These are love songs that dont sound sweet but are thoroughly warm and from the heart, and if Louris doesnt break a lot of creative ground (the intro to "Getting Older" is almost identical to the opening of "Waiting for the Sun" on the Jayhawks 1992 triumph Hollywood Town Hall), its the work of a writer and performer who hasnt lost touch with his inspiration in creating an albums worth of love songs for people who have put in the years together and are glad to keep doing so. There arent enough love songs like that, and Louris delivers them beautifully on Dark Country. ~ Mark Deming