Cowboy Junkies
One Soul Now (Zoë/Rounder)
By Charlotte Robinson
Published: May 31st, 2004 | 3:08pm
Most listeners think of the Cowboy Junkies as the band that struck gold with a spare, haunting cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" way back in 1988. Truth is they've been toiling away for almost 20 years, developing their own blend of slowcore and country — kind of like a twangy Low with an occasional urge to rock. The Junkies' ninth studio album, One Soul Now, is their second since leaving a major label and the first they've produced themselves. Working in their Toronto rehearsal space, Michael, Margo, and Peter Timmins and Alan Anton fleshed out their material as they were recording, a new process that gives the disc an organic feel. If you're expecting a return to the intimacy of the band's classic The Trinity Session, however, think again.
One Soul Now is an outward-looking collection that touches on such topics as corporate greed, land development, God, and child-rearing. The Junkies pull it off because they are questioning, not preaching, and they throw in plenty of personal songs about relationships for balance. A few tracks, like "From Hunting Ground to City" and "Simon Keeper," have the Quaaluded-out feel of Trinity, but there are plenty of bluesy, midtempo rockers to remind you of how this band has matured. The whole affair is somewhat predictable, but what the Junkies lack in adventurousness they make up for with reliability, and Margo Timmins' voice remains as beautiful as ever.
Issue #35
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