Smile[2 LP]

Smile[2 LP]

With Smile, the Jayhawks drop yet another sizable chunk of their alt-country sound by the roadside, adding in its place healthy doses of power pop and modern electronic music. Almost half of Smile's songs feature looped percussion, overdubbed drum tracks, or flat-out, funky backbeats. Despite the modern touches, though, the fact remains that Smile retains just enough of a distinctly Americana feeling. On the warm and twangy 'Better Days,' one of Louris' best songs, he sings with genuine regret and heartache the way he treated a long ago lover, and on 'Break in the Clouds' he celebrates the comforts of domestic contentment, complete with pedal steel and soaring harmonies that recall the band's landmark work Hollywood Town Hall from 1992. What never changes on the Jayhawks' albums, it seems, are the blissful melodies and well-constructed tunes.