Cowboy Junkies: Open

Cowboy Junkies made its name in the late '80s with its breakthrough album The Trinity Session, a spare, crystalline, dramatically direct take on torchy country and moody dirges. Since then, the Toronto band has increased the size of its creative canvas, doing well by both hooky pop (1996's Lay It Down) and darker mood pieces (1992's Black-Eyed Man), though its most recent studio album (1998's Miles From Our Home) walked a forgettable path down the middle of the road. Open veers back off course, its songs reportedly rooted in improvisation-heavy recording sessions, but the results aren't always as welcome as might be expected. It doesn't take long to figure out that this isn't a typical Cowboy Junkies record, as the fuzzy, psychedelic feel of "I Did It All For You" gives way to "Dragging Hooks," which wanders through turgid jams for nearly eight minutes. (As does "Dark Hole Again," also known as the sag in Open's midsection.) The meandering disc settles down for an occasional pretty highlight, peaking during the late-album ballads "Thousand Year Prayer" and "Beneath The Gate," while the more rocking "Upon Still Waters" works despite inadvertently nicking its hook from Pearl Jam's "Black." But, while the continued drive to mix up its sound remains admirable, the weak spots are downright deadly, making Open feel sort of like a between-albums goof, an experiment strictly for the fan club.