Best known as one of the key members of the venerable alt-country band the Jayhawks, Gary Louris has earned a reputation as one of the premiere songwriters of his generation, as well as an estimable guitarist and a vocalist who can communicate the mood and tone of his material with eloquence. While he's capable of writing with humor and joie de vivre, most of Louris' songs are character studies with an overcast mood that reflects their emotional honesty, though his melodies are strong and graceful in their rootsy, evocative tone. Louris' breakthrough came with the Jayhawks' 19...