Note: This CD is scheduled for release on April 8, while the vinyl is set for April 22. Initial copies of the CD will contain five bonus songs, as will the vinyl edition.

With the release of the heavily produced and highly collaborated Smile in 2000, many Jayhawks fans were left wondering if the group was moving in a different direction. But as is the case with most great (and I would even say resilient) rock bands, the Jayhawks didn’t stick their fingers in the air to see which way the music industry was heading, nor did they ask their fans what they wanted to hear. It’s about the music, right?

With Rainy Day Music many fans will be tempted to say, “This is just like the old stuff.” But there would be no Rainy Day Music without Smile and without the reinvented Jayhawks that now consist primarily of original co-founder Gary Louris, bassist Marc Perlman and relative newcomer Tim O’Reagan on drums.

Rainy Day Music is the seventh studio release by Minneapolis-based, The Jayhawks, but their first release on Lost Highway Records (Ryan Adams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams). This is a CD that all Jayhawks fans should love. This is a CD that all music lovers should embrace.

Since the project was sort of a back-to-basics approach to recording, the songs have a straightforward feel to them. In fact, every tune was recorded without the use of computers and with the idea that each piece should be able to stand on its own with a simple arrangement. To prove the point, listen to “Stumbling Through the Dark,” the first cut of the CD. Then go back and listen to the stripped-down acoustic version at the end. (Incidentally, this song is co-written by Matthew Sweet who has recorded a cover of The Jayhawk’s classic “Blue” with his new trio line-up, The Thorns.) But while the approach itself is austere and honest to the songwriting craft, the end result is an incredibly rewarding experience for the listener. The songs are all astoundingly melodic and memorable upon even the first listen.

Louris’ voice is, perhaps, one of the smoothest voices in contemporary music, and his songwriting seems to get better with age. Admittedly, Louris took more control over the songwriting process this time around, which gives the album a certain consistency. Other bits of inspiration from singer-songwriters of the past and present seem to be interwoven throughout the entire CD. It can be heard in the songs and the voices behind them. O’Reagan’s two songs, “Tampa to Tulsa”, and “Don’t Let the World Get In Your Way,” have their own feel to them while not tampering with the general vibe of the record. O’Reagan’s voice and song-writing lends itself to John Lennon, David Bowie (a la Space Oddity) and even Don Henley. Second generation rockers and sons of icons Jakob Dylan and Chris Stills (son of Stephen Stills) find their way onto this album. Interestingly, Louris’ “Madman” has sort of a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young flavor to it. Other cuts like “Tailspin” and “Angeline” have a sound that can only be described as “like the Jayhawks” and will linger on in that place where your brain caches memorable melodies that you cannot stop humming, even when you’re supposed to be paying attention to your boss or your spouse. There are enough turns and twists scattered throughout this album to keep you interested from start to finish. Rainy Day Music is a CD perfect for a rainy day, or a warm summer evening or a cold winter morning or even a mild fall afternoon. It’s just a perfect CD.

The Jayhawks have been one of the best bands ever to miss out on the big break that they certainly deserve. As Louris notes in the song, “Tailspin,” “You’re a fragile flower in its final hour / With no chance to taste the waters.”

Let’s hope that Rainy Day Music produces at least enough water to keep these guys writing and performing.

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