Convoy

If the Jayhawks had taken less influence from the Byrds and more influence from the Beach Boys, they'd probably sound a lot like Convoy. Their debut release for Warner Bros., Black Licorice, is essentially a revved-up version of their earlier collection of demos (1999's Pineapple Recording Sessions) with the addition of several new tracks. The studio re-recordings are crisper and have more punch than the earlier versions, and, for the most part, are more successful. The anthemic "Weekends" launches off the runway like a pop 747, while the earthy "Is He in Your Heart Tonight" evokes the intimate spirit of Gram Parsons. Unfortunately, either the band or the label saw fit to revamp some of their tracks, transforming the tender "Caught Up in You" and the sunny "California Girls" into stop-start, radio friendly alternative rock clones, sounding more like Sugar Ray than the warm country-influenced rock that pervades the rest of the album. Luckily, the highlights outweigh the flaws, including the chunky "Gone So Quick Tomorrow" which jumpstarts the album, and the Stonesy "Loosen it Up" which could've been ripped from the Exile on Main Street sessions. Since their earlier release was a collection of demos, Black Licorice holds together better as an album, but in some cases the refreshing looseness of the Pineapple Recording Sessions has been stripped away, to the detriment of the songs themselves. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide