This is supposed to be the happier, poppier Jayhawks, taking their "now or never" stab at the big time. Bob Ezrin's slick production handles the poppier part just fine, but it can't hide the band's sense of desperation. While the tunes, playing, and production are very solid, the lyrics sound unfinished and unfocused, as though tacked on as an afterthought.
The title track's exhortation sounds unconvincing and even the jangly first single, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," comes off as lightweight and cliched.
I'm gonna make you love me
I'm gonna dry your tears
And we're gonna stay together
For a million years.
If you thought Sound of Lies, the album that followed Mark Olson's departure, was a letdown (though this reviewer didn't think so), you will likely be further depressed. If you liked Sound of Lies, Smile is less consistent and its peaks don't approach those of its predecessor (the joyful and self-deprecating "Big Star" and Tim O'Reagan's achingly beautiful vocal turn on "Bottomless Cup").
Sadly, this Smile is a tense, tight-lipped one.
2 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth July 2000Reviewed by Andy ArgyrakisAlternative sounds put to a country motif may sound like a strange combination, but The Jayhawks have turned it into an art form on their latest disc Smile. The new project, the band's first on Columbia Records, is the follow-up to 1997's successful Sound of Lies. During that time off, the group has focused on slowly crafting their songs to perfection while carefully writing their lyrics in…Similar sounding releases
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