Friday was the release date for the brilliant new Jayhawks album, XOXO. This one is deep and rich with that glorious Jayhawks sound with memorable hooks and harmonies and tunes. Gary Louris commented, “The Jayhawks are a true band, one where everyone’s an equal, and we wanted to make a record that reflected that.”
Recorded close to home at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and Flowers Studio in their native Minneapolis, this album marks the first time the band intertwined lead vocal and songwriting contributions from all four members; Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, and Tim O’Reagan.
The Jayhawks, who formed in 1985, returned to their core line up from the late-90’s before releasing Paging Mr. Proust in 2016, Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018, and 2020’s XOXO. For thirty-five years they have set a noteworthy bar for their instantly recognizable art, enhanced by their obvious camaraderie. Rest assured, WMOT is digging deep into the new album.
Here is one of the stellar cuts, “Bitter Pill.”
Jessie Scott is WMOT's program director, host of weekday afternoons and WMOT's Wired In series.
