The Jayhawks – Smile

Great album but i got a dud -Side 1 - off center. Too bad.

While I prefer the Olson era 'hawks, this is a good record, and no one would regret picking it up.. I'm happy to be playing it right now, and Broken Harpoon is a special song

Ignore the review from Joesmom. This is a great record, 5 star all the way, from the best American band of the last 30 years. And the record absolutely has direction....it's a love record but not "silly love songs" and definitely no filler to be found. Bringing in Bob Ezrin was a brilliant move that helped The Jayhawks develop their post-Olson direction. Similar to how John Ford subverted the western film genre, The Jayhawks would continue to subvert the "Americana" genre with future gems Rainy Day Music, Paging Mr. Proust, and XOXO.

If the loss of Mark Olson was made up for on the previous album "Sound Of Lies", then the determination to forge ahead makes this album sound a bit like an outgrowth of that album, albeit with mixed results. The problem is that the songwriting and arrangements take a few more chances to make up for perhaps a lack of new ideas. Bringing in Bob Ezrin to try to punch out their new pop-rock direction was not so successful either. Over time, some of the songs really start to stand out but the lack of an overall continuity of the album makes for a more challenging listen. Despite all that, it's a record worth having and allowing to grow on you, especially the reissue with extra songs.