PLAY: The Jayhawks, “Mockingbird Time”

Back in the late ’80s, the Jayhawks stood at the front of a group of musicians dedicated to fusing rock and twang in the spirit of the late, great Gram Parsons. It was the dark time before the days of “Americana” labels and coffee house radio, a time when Wilco and Son Volt were still unborn inside a band called Uncle Tupelo. Now with a new generation of Americana acts, such as Mumford & Sons and Avett Brothers, threatening to bury their memory, the Jayhawks are stepping into the Americana dirt once again.

“Mockingbird Time” is the band’s first album since 2003′s “Rainy Day Music.” More importantly, it’s the first time the original lineup — including founding member Mark Olson — has recorded since 1995. That’s a lot of pressure. “Tomorrow the Green Grass,” from 1995, is widely considered not only the band’s high-water mark but also the standard bearer of truly glorious Americana music. It’s also the album that led me to the Joshua Tree desert to record Mark Olson for my own stab at the Americana dream, “Harlem.” “Mockingbird Time” doesn’t quite reach the heights of those ’90s glory days, but it’s a thrill to hear Olson and Gary Louris wrap their harmonies together once again. Welcome back, guys.

WATCH the official teaser for the Jayhawks’ new album.