The Jayhawks are an alt-country institution at this point and for their 10th studio album, Back Roads and Abandoned Motels , the Minneapolis five-piece dig into their vaults for some old  tunes that ‘Hawks frontman Gary Louris wrote with other artists, such as Dixie Chicks and Jakob Dylan. They also mixed a few things up this time, too, with pianist Karen Grotberg and drummer Tim O’Reagan handling lead vocals on some songs—a jarring concept if you’re expecting Louris’ weathered voice to show up throughout. The result is a rather mellow effort, something akin to Sunday morning coffee house folk-rock. Songs like “Gonna Be a Darkness,” which Louris co-wrote with Dylan, and “Need You Tonight,” a collaboration with singer-songwriter Scott Thomas, find Louris excelling at two things he does best: digging into dark times and dwelling on romantic nostalgia. The album’s two highlights, though, come at the end, with two new Louris songs rounding out the 11-song set, “Carry You to Safety” and “Leaving Detroit.” The latter is a tender ballad about a devastating split, where the last one standing is left in a shattered home, with nothing else to do but take off. However, Back Roads doesn’t feel like an essential Jayhawks listen, and those wanting an earful of the energetic days demonstrated on Tomorrow the Green Grass , Smile or Rainy Day Music won’t get it here. But if you do spend time with Back Roads , then it’s easy to affirm what many have known for years: Louris is still a gifted storyteller, and perhaps it’s sometimes more evident in the quieter times.