Dark Country in Bloomington, MN

Gary Louris
, the once and future leader of
the Jayhawks
, chose to release his third solo album, 2025's
Dark Country
, on Valentine's Day. It feels fitting, since it's a collection of songs about love dedicated to his wife and recorded in the house they share. Then again, if you're looking for music that will soundtrack a grand romantic evening, this might not be what you want.
is indeed about love, but it's not about the happy and peppy variety that's the stuff of pop songs. Instead,
concerns itself with the sort of love that comes with time and devotion: "Getting Older" pointedly reminds us relationships don't always get easier with time, while "By Your Side" and "Helping Hand" are more positive while also speaking of how marriage is a two-way street where both partners have to support one another. This all befits the outlook of a guy who was a month away from turning 70 when this was released, and the production and arrangements are purposefully spare, with most featuring just
Louris
at his guitar, piano, and harmonica.
doesn't hesitate to acknowledge his influences here; several cuts recall
Neil Young
in his
After the Gold Rush
/
Harvest
era, and "Perfect Day" is a striking evocation of
Gene Clark
, sounding lush compared to the rest of the LP with its banks of synthesizers and spectral backing vocals. These are love songs that don't sound sweet but are thoroughly warm and from the heart, and if
doesn't break a lot of creative ground (the intro to "Getting Older" is almost identical to the opening of "Waiting for the Sun" on
' 1992 triumph
Hollywood Town Hall
), it's the work of a writer and performer who hasn't lost touch with his inspiration in creating an album's worth of love songs for people who have put in the years together and are glad to keep doing so. There aren't enough love songs like that, and
delivers them beautifully on
. ~ Mark Deming