The Jayhawks: Smile : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Since 1985, the Jayhawks have valued craftsmanship and sincerity above all else; originality has been a poor country cousin. But with their sixth album, these grandpappies of the Americana movement try on a more jagged, if still countrified, rock sound. They end up sounding like every other band who ever heard Sgt. Pepper's and midperiod R.E.M. It's hard to resist the effervescent optimism of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" when that happy mandolin kicks in. But the faux-Dylan phrasing on "Life Floats By" is about as fresh as yesterday's catfish, and the quasar trippiness of the guitars on "Pretty Thing" have all the charm of a reproduction lava lamp. You can't blame the Jayhawks for trying to break out of the admittedly constricting alt-country mold -- but maybe it was the one thing that allowed them to hold their shape. (RS 841)

STEPHANIE ZACHAREK