​Gary Louris (from the album My Dark Country

​Gary Louris (from the album My Dark Country

​Gary Louris (from the album My Dark Country available on SHAM/Thirty Tigers) (by Bryant Liggett)
You put the term Country in an album title and many people expect a Country-leaning style reference. Its fortunate then that Country music has plenty of descriptors, and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) has poked round the Alt- side of the genre enough that he can take some credit for expanding the term Alt-Country. In the case of his latest solo effort, Dark Country, the Jayhawks frontman explores Roots and Pop. Dark Country is a record that edges the borders of Country while remaining Gary Louris’ brand.
The record is ultimately a love letter, from Louris, to his wife, are shown in the second cut of the album, the minimalist “Couldn’t Live A Day Without You”, the love notes continuing in a beautiful piano ballad in “By Your Side”.
“Living on My Phone” is ambient, airy, and subtly Psychedelic, Gary Louris harmonizing with himself on “Helping Hand” while the closer, “Perfect Day”, is a cut that would make a great film score running over the closing credits, offering a piece that is as dramatic as it is cinematic. Sparse instrumentation, straight up lyrics from plucked guitar, simple piano, and Louris’s voice reveal a stripped-down record where the songs are the stars. Dark Country is loaded with feeling where Gary Louris isn’t hiding behind anything; the highlight in the album is the song itself. (by Bryant Liggett)
Listen and buy the music of Gary Louris from AMAZON
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