Review: The Jayhawks – Sanctuary Park
Forty years after their debut, The Jayhawks return with ‘Sanctuary Park’, an album rooted in folk rock, country, soul and power pop
The Jayhawks – Sanctuary Park
Format: CD / Vinyl LP / Digital
Label: Thirty Tigers
Release date: August 28, 2026
Text: Tom Wouters
The Jayhawks came to fame with their first self-titled album in 1986. An album full of typical American folk rock/pop. Since then, The Jayhawks are an indispensable part of the American pop/rock scene. Forty years later, they are still there, and better than ever.
Canadian producer Bob Ezrin of Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel and Lou Reed fame was recruited to produce ‘Sanctuary Park’, which is, like all other albums by the Jayhawks, a classic American pop record built on the needle-perfect songwriting of guitarist/singer Gary Louris, who can compete with one of the best pop/rock songwriters ever, Neil Finn (Crowded House) and the lush three-part harmonies.
The music is firmly rooted in 60s American pop of bands like The Byrds, Moby Grape and The Mama’s and the Papa’s in a melting pot of country, rock, soul, folk and power pop.
Although the album’s title references a real location in Dundas, Ontario, Canada, ‘Sanctuary Park’ in the songwriting by Louris is especially a fictional place where distant memories emerge, childhood friends start speaking again, and teenage lovers come to live again.
The perfect songwriting is brought to music by the band (Gary Louris – vocals and guitar, Karen Grotberg -keyboards, Marc Perlman – bass and Tim O’Reagan – drums) in perfect interplay, perfected in many years of playing together, live and in the studio.
‘Sanctuary Park’ consists of eleven Jayhawks gems. From the opener Keeping Our Heads Above Water, via the Byrds-like Kingston Girl, the country of Hands Upon The Wheel with a tremendous a cappella intro, the folky Leap Of Faith, the power pop of Always And A Day, the ultimate Jayhawks tune Sanctuary Park to the country pop of It’ll Be All Right Tonight, the album is a sheer joy to listen to.
With ‘Sanctuary Park’ The Jayhawks release an almost perfect power-pop record.
Concert tip
The Jayhawks will perform at Doornroosje in Nijmegen on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 7:45 p.m.
Tracks:
01. Keeping Our Heads Above Water
02. Kingston Girl
03. Mr. Lincoln
04. Hands Upon the Wheel
05. Leap of Faith
06. American Midnight
07. Always and a Day
08. Sanctuary Park
09. Familiar Strangers
10. It’ll Be All Right Tonight
11. Rowing the Boat
Website: https://www.jayhawksofficial.com/index.html
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