Time has not diluted the Cowboy Junkies’ dreamy mix of tempestuous torch songs and soup-for-the-soul soundscapes, but it has given it a naturally more seasoned feel and bittersweet bite that fans (and those who only knew their music in the ’80s and ’90s) should appreciate.
The Canadian band’s latest reintroduces and reimagines one of their later-era experiments, the 2009 collection called Acoustic Junk, and adds five new, mostly unplugged recordings that complement select tracks from the original.
Some of the old songs have been remixed, but the changes are subtle. More Acoustic Junk (October 24 via Cooking Vinyl) retains the soothing stripped-down quality of the original, but more importantly, it boasts the group’s signature melodicism and familial warmth.
Vocalist Margo Timmins sets the tone and temperature for every Junkies tune and she always has, but her brother, guitarist Michael Timmins, plays prominently as lead song writer. (Their other brother Peter Timmins plays drums on their electric output). Michael’s work evokes a deep appreciation for country, folk, standards, and balladry, especially ’70s rock.
Of course the band is best known for its platinum-selling 1988 classic The Trinity Session, which was recorded live in one day on one microphone in a Toronto church, a fun fact that might sound like a gimmick, but truly gave it a spiritual quality.
On their stunning version of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane,” which became a mega-hit, Margo’s velvet-y vocals balanced sorrow with a gloomy seduction that would ensnare its fanbase in the MTV era (thanks to a striking black and white video), leading to appreciation for slower tempos and more subdued artists. The hit enjoyed a resurgence around 1993, when it was featured in a key montage in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers and its success in both decades arguably opened the door for everyone who followed, from the shoegazey atmospherics of Mazzy Star to the emotive musings of Fiona Apple.
The band became known for transformative covers due to “Jane” and their take on Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” off Trinity, but it wasn’t until 2022’s covers album, Songs of the Recollection (which featured a critically acclaimed accompanying tour), that they went all in, offering renditions of favorites from the likes of David Bowie and the Rolling Stones.
With More Acoustic Junk, the band—which also includes Jeff Bird (mandolin, harmonica, bass, percussion), Andy Maize (backup vocals), Josh Finlayson (banjo), and Jaro Czerwinec (accordion)—are essentially covering themselves this time, and the result is intimate and gorgeous.
An updated version of “In My Time Of Need” serves as an exemplary intro, showcasing Margo’s breathy yet potent pipes and Michael’s delicate harmonies, with a wistful chorus and a tender, more pronounced twang of acoustic guitar.
Other tracks including “Tired Eyes,” “He Will Call You Baby,” “Cutting Board Blues,” and “Cold Evening Wind” (all from the original Acoustic Junk) feature guitar and harmonica parts in new and complimentary ways that make them feel like additional voices, or at least embellishments behind the vocal storytelling the band is known for.
The re-dos aren’t necessarily better than the originals, but they work as a cohesive framework for the new material, the best of which showcases a longheld penchant for genre blends and atmosphere.
“Unanswered Letter” is a bluesy mid-tempo ditty that pops like a community campfire jam, while “He Will Call You Baby” has a foreboding quality that recalls the band’s early years, but with an added dose of worldly wisdom about human relationships and dynamics; and it’s driven by killer accordion accompaniment.
Acoustic music may not be trendy at the moment, but the moody sound that Cowboy Junkies do so well still has its place. These kinds of lovelorn laments and atmospheric odes to life’s journeys and lessons never really go out of style, but it’s nice to see a legacy group continue to push themselves and experiment so many years later—with new and old material that’s anything but junk.
