My Morning Jacket
(ATO)
The distance My Morning Jacket has traveled is astonishing. In 1999, when the band released their debut The Tennessee Fire, they were lo-fi rough riders recording in a silo with bandleader Jim James hiding behind mountains of reverb. 2003’s semi-breakout It Still Moves was a phenomenal rock record and 2005’s Z shot them into space. Evil Urges is their most adventurous and successful effort yet; it’s everything we could want because we never guessed it would sound like this. The reverb is pared down and everything seems polished with a psychedelic silver brush. James’ confidence finds him channeling Prince on the nasty funk-freaker “Highly Suspicious,” pulling heartstrings with his croon on the beautiful ode to love “Thank You Too,” and floating on synthesizers through a high-register primordial ooze on the eight-minute masterpiece “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2.”
The songwriting has always been there, but where they’ve taken it sonically is what makes MMJ one of the most compelling acts we have. Every drum, vocal, keyboard, guitar and strange background voice sounds impeccable; couple the production sheen with lush strings (courtesy of Beck’s father David Campbell) and we have a full-bodied affair worthy of dissection with headphones.
MMJ are grounded in their earthy, Kentucky roots but their branches and leaves stretch into the cosmos. Free of genres and restrictions, they’re a distinctly American band that the whole universe can get down with.
Standout Tracks: “Highly Suspicious,” “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2” AARON KAYCE
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