The Jayhawks: Gary Louris (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar); Karen Grotberg (vocals, piano, organ); Marc Perlman (vocals, bass); Tim O'Reagan (vocals, drums).
Additional personnel: Matthew Sweet (vocals); Kraig Johnson (guitar); Jessy Greene (violin, viola); Pauli Ryan (percussion); George Drakoulias (Chamberlin).
Recorded at Terrarium Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 1996.
In the wake of singer-guitarist Mark Olson's departure, Gary Louris picks up the songwriting slack on the Jayhawks' fourth album. Drifting away from the band's country-rock roots, SOUND OF LIES owes as much to the Beatles' REVOLVER as it does to the Flying Burrito Brothers' GILDED PALACE OF SIN. With deft support from singer, bassist and occasional composer Marc Perlman, Louris has come up with a batch of perfect, shimmering pop songs that retain a country flavor but open the door to a wider range of influences.
With Louris' melodic figures and big, round tone recalling the bass work of Paul McCartney, and the nearly-baroque keyboard accompaniment of Karen Grotberg, SOUND OF LIES sounds haunted by the ghost of the Beatles. But the Jayhawks' vision is far too distinctive to be derivative. While many lyrics anticipate the onset of mid-life crisis and its attendant alienation, the band's sunny melodies and sparkling arrangements keep things from ever sounding too desperate.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (4/17/97, p.78) - 2.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...remaining chief songwriter, Gary Louris, has pointed the band more toward his folk-pop preferences and psychedelic experimentation..."
Q (1/98, p.113) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1997."
Q (5/97, p.122) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...The emphasis here is shifted slightly from the group's country roots to a more straightforwardly melodic, at times Beatlesque songwriting approach..."
Village Voice (2/24/98) - Ranked #39 in the Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
Mojo (Publisher) (p.55) - Ranked #87 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[A]n album of country-rock heart-break and psychedelic pop..."
