The Jayhawks have become one of alt-country’s most important groups, but back in 1986, they were just another struggling indie-rock band getting in touch with the roots music the best way they knew how. This self-titled album, often out of print and known as The Bunkhouse Album, is quite a stunner. There are quick-moving pedal steel guitars and country harmonies to let you know how much they love Gram Parsons and there’s plenty of confident playing to prove that this was one Minneapolis group who could hold their own below the Mason-Dixon line. “Falling Star” kicks things off with the perfect power. Mark Olson and Gary Louris write songs that have a genuine authority to them. But make no mistake, this is a young band not yet seasoned in the complex layering of sound that would take over for Hollywood Town Hall and Sound of Lies. In some ways, it makes tunes such as “Tried and True,” “The Liquor Store Came First” and “King of Kings” retain a freshness that only youth can bring.