Sound of Lies (Expanded Edition)

This 2014 reissue of The Jayhawks’ 1997 album Sound of Lies features five bonus tracks, including three previously unreleased outtakes and two more never before released in the U.S. Chief cowriter Mark Olson had departed, leaving all duties to Gary Louris; he steered the group between their classic country-rock and an emerging pop sense. The album’s stirring opener, “The Man Who Loved Life,” shows signs of frustration with the group’s status (“This traveling band was not well-received”). This manifests further on “Big Star” (not a tribute to Alex Chilton’s band), where Louris sings of has-beens at 35, but with a hard rock commitment that leads to a blazing guitar solo. Bassist Marc Perlman cowrites several album highlights, including “Think About It” and “Trouble,” while new drummer Tim O’Reagan adds the mysterious “Bottomless Cup.” Among the bonuses, “I Hear You Cry” and “Sleepyhead” nail sweet, laid-back ‘70s country-rock sounds, while the studio outtake “Kirby’s Tune” features some fine jamming and the alternate take of “It’s Up to You” is worth its inclusion.