I saw a post on Instagram this week which said that August And Everything After was 33 years old. It added: “There’s a 90% chance you had it.”
Not only did I have it, but it sent me on a voyage of discovery that led me towards all manner of American bands. One of them was The Jayhawks. Records like Hollywood Town Hall then led me to Wilco, Whiskeytown and countless others. That journey is still going today.
“Keeping Our Heads Above Water” is gentle and sounds uniquely American from its opening line. The Jayhawks have always possessed a way of beguiling you without ever appearing to try too hard, and “Kingston Girl” does precisely that. The harmonies and guitar are gorgeous, while the accordion provides a lovely touch.
From The Band downwards, there is a lineage to this music, and Gary Louris and Marc Perlman understand it completely. “Mr. Lincoln” feels rooted in that history, while “Hands Upon The Wheel” introduces some almost imperceptible darkness amid the “small-town static playing on the radio.”
“Leap Of Faith” finds that lovely sweet spot between comfortably familiar and new. That is perhaps the great skill here: Sanctuary Park never attempts to reinvent The Jayhawks, but it never sounds like a band merely going through the motions either.
“American Midnight” is almost a rock ’n’ roll song. Almost. There is still too much restraint and subtlety for it to truly cut loose, but it gives the record a little extra muscle. “Always And A Day,” by contrast, is a simple love song as timeless as music itself.
The title track is a highlight amongst many. There is something warm, welcoming and quietly moving about “Sanctuary Park,” and it seems to encapsulate everything the album does so well. The way the voices meld on “Familiar Strangers” sounds completely natural, giving the song a reflective quality rather than anything forced.
“It’ll Be All Right Tonight” brings a Springsteen reference and some lovely lap steel. What’s not to like? Then “Rowing The Boat” closes things in light and airy fashion, speaking to the humanity that has coloured so much of the record.
The Jayhawks might not be the most prolific band, but Louris and Perlman have been around for 40 years and have ensured that the group has always been incredibly consistent.
Sanctuary Park is no different. It is beautifully played, gently reflective and unmistakably theirs.
Rating: 8.5/10
