Smile (studio album) by The Jayhawks

Not a bad album, but not their best. It certainly is very listenable. However, my criticism is that I find it over produced, especially the title track. There are some sweet songs and for someone who has not heard "The Sound of Lies" it is a good introduction to The Jayhawks.

After the ambitious album "Sound of Lies", Louris, again without Olson, and his crew, release this album in which they tend towards a more pop sound. It's generally nice to hear but I prefer their previous and their next album.
Best tracks: What led me to this town, Better Days, Mr Wilson, Smile

From drivebytornado 02/27/2013 13:41

The 6th album by The Jayhawks, hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bob Ezrin produced this classic album, which proved clearly that Mark Olson was unnecessary and was not needed back.

When reviewing this album, the New York Times titled their review: "What if you made a classic and no one cared"? and I think that really encapsulates the Jayhawks career. Everyone I know that has heard them thinks they're amazing, but that's a select few individuals. What a shame.

From paladisiac 01/03/2012 20:08

"Smile" comes off more americana than country, but all the same, the album's replete with pop sensibilities which often puts a smile on this face. They're asking you to "smile when you're down and out" and keep your "chin up". then they're proclaiming their love glowingly from the tallest building in "i'm gonna make you love me" (singing "i'm gonna drown your tears / we're gonna stay together for a million years". The female backing harmonies are nice-to-lovely across most songs. But there is an undercurrent of despair, from the title track to "what led me to this town" ("Such a lazy afternoon / Eight shades of gray and I can taste the rain / Oh, how high the lovely have flown / What led me to this town ") and its simple-yet-catchy chorus to "broken harpoon" ("When it seemed no matter what you gave / (When) I took my secret to my grave"). But it's tough to stay down amidst singalongs like "somewhere in ohio" ("look out joe i think the sky is fallin' / seems like all the clouds have turned to stone"), "mr. wilson"'s guardian angel and "queen of the world" (chorus "take me to the place i never go / with scented kisses made of gold / I'll place a crown upon your curls / All hail the queen of the world"), and the songs that do sound lovelorn sound so in at least a semi-optimistic way, like "a break in the clouds" ("every time that i see your face / it's like cool, cool water running down my back") or "better days" (the way he sings "too late for hope / but a dream remembered" sounds romantic) and closing with a rocking "baby baby baby".