Cowboy Junkies Lay It Down (LP)

(UMG Recordings) 13 tracks, with printed inner sleeve and lyrics

Every Cowboy Junkies album is a sonic treat, full of gorgeous guitar tones from Michael Timmons, haunting vocals from Margo Timmins and beautiful arrangements, and 1996's "Lay it Down" is no exception. But there is one big difference between this album and its predecessors: it rocks! And it rocks pretty hard, especially on the Canadian hit "A Common Disaster", which is reminiscent of Crazy Horse, "Just Want to See" and the title track in the style of Paisley Underground. The reduced quartet line-up and producer John Keane have characterized the album's sound of Americana / alt-country and indie rock wonderfully strongly.