My Morning Jacket | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Starting in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s and 2010s, My Morning Jacket expanded on their rock and country roots, embracing everything from neo-psychedelia to funk, prog, and reggae in their sonic experimentation. By the time Evil Urges arrived in mid-2008, they had successfully molded themselves into Kentuckys answer to Wilco: a band rooted in alt-country and rock & roll, but given to sonic experimentation and unexpected genre changes at every turn. My Morning Jackets de facto leader is vocalist/guitarist Jim James (birth name: James Olliges; occasional pseudonym: Yim Yames), who founded the band in 1998 alongside his cousin Johnny Quaid (guitar), Tom Blankenship (bass), and J. Glenn (drums). Headquartered in James hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, the group released its debut on Darla Records in 1999, with keyboardist Danny Cash joining the lineup one year later. Although The Tennessee Fire was only modestly popular in the U.S., it became a genuine hit overseas, particularly in the Netherlands. My Morning Jacket responded by launching a tour in Europe, where they were featured in a Dutch documentary film and received accolades from the Dutch music press. A Christmas EP was released in 2000, but it was My Morning Jackets follow-up effort -- 2001s At Dawn -- that helped expand their audience at home. Jim James recorded his vocals in a grain silo, and the resulting reverb-heavy sound became a hallmark of the bands early work. After the albums stateside release, James best friend from childhood, Patrick Hallahan, was recruited as the bands new drummer. My Morning Jacket maintained a grueling schedule throughout the early 2000s, hitting the road with such acts as Guided by Voices, the Doves, and the Foo Fighters. They also made the jump to a major label (RCA/ATO Records) for the 2003 release of It Still Moves, one of their most praised albums yet. Quaid and Cash announced their departure in January 2004 (keyboardist Bo Koster and guitarist Carl Broemel joined in their place), and the group continued to tour as a unified five-piece. Produced by John Leckie, 2005s Z did away with the heavy reverb that blanketed the bands earlier efforts, while the addition of synthesizers and reggae textures introduced audiences to My Morning Jackets experimental side. Tracks from Z also appeared on Okonokos, a live album released in 2006. Arriving in June 2008, Evil Urges showcased James expanding vocal range, his bandmates fascination with Prince, and My Morning Jackets eagerness to challenge the boundaries of alternative country-rock. After touring in support of the album, the bandmates spent several years pursuing their own projects, with Jim James joining the indie supergroup Monsters of Folk and Carl Broemel releasing a solo album. They reconvened for 2011s Circuital, recording the album in a local churchs gymnasium and revisiting the quirky, eclectic sound that fueled their two previous albums. In the summer of 2013, My Morning Jacket hit the road as part of the Americanarama Festival of Music, a touring event in which they shared the bill with Bob Dylan and Wilco. In 2014, they booked time at Panoramic House Studios in Stinson Beach, California to begin work on a new album, aiming for a new spontaneity in their songwriting and embracing the mood of Northern California. The result, The Waterfall, was released in the spring of 2015. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 19 Title: The Tennessee Fire Released: 1999-05-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 57:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Heartbreakin Man (03:11) 2 They Ran (02:48) 3 The Bear (04:39) 4 Nashville to Kentucky (02:58) 5 Old Sept Blues (02:28) 6 If All Else Fails (03:58) 7 Its About Twilight Now (04:06) 8 Evelyn Is Not Real (03:04) 9 War Begun (03:06) 10 Picture of You (03:16) 11 I Will Be There When You Die (04:42) 12 The Dark (03:22) 13 By My Car (04:04) 14 Butch Cassidy (03:55) 15 I Think Im Going to Hell (05:06) 16 [untitled] (02:42) |
| The Tennessee Fire : Allmusic album Review : My Morning Jacket is a four-piece band from Louisville, KY, led by singer/songwriter Jim James. The songs on Tennessee Fire (Darla 1999) evoke warm (and somewhat lonely) memories of a gothic country night. Electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, lap-steel, drums and bass all join his unique (Neil Young meets Wayne Coyne) voice in a huge pool of reverb. At first you wonder if the sound will overtake the songs, but after the first chorus you realize that the beauty of these simple and emotive songs is only enhanced by the addition of this effect, and by the end of the first song, you cant even tell that its there. Released to (world) wide critical acclaim, Tennessee Fire provides proof (200 proof) that heartfelt American music is alive and well, and living in KY. A must for anyone who loves the sound of alt-country mixed with wide-open spaces. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 19 Title: Heartbreakin Man Released: 2000-05 Tracks: 6 Duration: 19:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Heartbreakin Man (03:11) 2 Old Sept. Blues (ga-ed out version) (05:42) 3 They Ran (acoustic) (03:32) 4 Evelyn Is Not Real (be-mixed) (02:29) 5 R.I.P.V.G. (02:18) 6 Tonite I Want to Celebrate With You (02:25) |
 | Album: 3 of 19 Title: Does Xmas Fiasco Style Released: 2000-10 Tracks: 6 Duration: 34:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Xmas Curtain (04:53) 2 I Just Wanted to Say (06:29) 3 Xmas Time Is Here Again (06:15) 4 New Morning (04:06) 5 Santa Claus Is Back in Town (05:38) 6 [untitled] (07:21) |
 | Album: 4 of 19 Title: At Dawn Released: 2001-04-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:13:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 At Dawn (03:49) 2 Lowdown (03:53) 3 The Way That He Sings (05:35) 4 Death Is the Easy Way (05:28) 5 Hopefully (05:55) 6 Bermuda Highway (03:19) 7 Honest Man (07:46) 8 X-Mas Curtain (04:48) 9 Just Because I Do (02:55) 10 If It Smashes Down (05:28) 11 I Needed It Most (06:36) 12 Phone Went West (07:05) 13 Strangulation! (08:08) 14 [untitled] (03:08) |
| At Dawn : Allmusic album Review : On their second album for Darla Records, My Morning Jacket sound perfect. That is to say, they havent changed a bit, and we like them that way. At Dawn is full of the same strumming acoustic guitar, hauntingly treated vocals, elements of country and blues, and everything else that made The Tennessee Fire a magnificent country, rock, and Americana stew. When bandleader Jim James sings, "We start this time with open ears," you know youre heading into familiar territory, as open ears were what you needed the first time you took this trip with James and the rest of My Morning Jacket. Open ears led you through the stark and beautiful landscape of The Tennessee Fire, and now they take you on a similar trip, from the sunshine of "Lowdown," "The Way He Sings," and "Just Because I Do" to the rainy day appeal of "If It Smashes Down" and "I Needed It Most." Echoes of Galaxie 500, For Stars, and classic Americana (Neil Young, the Band, Dylan, the Velvet Underground, etc.) find their way into this record to varying degrees, but they seem to float along lending help and comfort, rather than showing themselves directly. Like Belle & Sebastian, My Morning Jackets songs have remained essentially the same, and At Dawn is the sound of a band hitting its stride. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 19 Title: My Morning Jacket / Songs: Ohia Released: 2002-03-19 Tracks: 5 Duration: 26:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 O Is the One That Is Real (03:39) 2 How Do You Know (04:48) 3 Come Closer (04:59) 4 The Year in Review (02:34) 5 Translation (10:08) |
 | Album: 6 of 19 Title: Chocolate and Ice EP Released: 2002-04-16 Tracks: 6 Duration: 40:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Can You See the Hard Helmet on My Head? (03:45) 2 Sooner (03:38) 3 Cobra (24:12) 4 Its Been a Great 3 or 4 Years (04:00) 5 Holy (01:59) 6 Sweetheart (03:06) |
 | Album: 7 of 19 Title: Sweatbees Released: 2002-11-25 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Lowdown (03:53) 2 The Way That He Sings (05:35) 3 O Is the One That Is Real (03:39) 4 Come Closer (04:57) 5 Sooner (03:40) 6 Sweetheart (03:06) 7 Can You See the Hard Helmet on My Head? (03:45) 8 Death Is the Easy Way (05:28) 9 How Do You Know (04:48) |
 | Album: 8 of 19 Title: It Still Moves Released: 2003-09-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:11:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mahgeetah (05:56) 2 Dancefloors (05:38) 3 Golden (04:39) 4 Master Plan (05:05) 5 One Big Holiday (05:21) 6 I Will Sing You Songs (09:18) 1 Easy Morning Rebel (05:09) 2 Run Thru (05:45) 3 Rollin Back (07:50) 4 Just One Thing (03:13) 5 Steam Engine (07:26) 6 One in the Same (06:23) |
| It Still Moves : Allmusic album Review : Its a beautiful thing to know that Brian Wilson is still alive and well in the kingdom of indie rock. My Morning Jackets third full-length effort, and first for the ATO/RCA venture label, is a step beyond the bands work for Darla. While the gorgeous amalgam of the Bands vision of country/Americana and Neil Youngs blend of folk and rock are everywhere present, there is a new textural awareness evident on It Still Moves. Jim James songwriting is tighter in structure, but his production sensibility is early-70s Laurel Canyon, with some of the Grateful Deads American Beauty tropes as well. Sounds like a mess, doesnt it? Well, its not. Wearing your influences on your sleeve doesnt mean unoriginality. James is an original songwriter; he has worked hard to develop the gifts inherent in his lyric concerns and his ability to paint emotional landscapes with his melodies, and the payoff has never been greater. "Mahgeetah," with its Pet Sounds ambience and country-rock melody -- complete with fuzzed-out guitar solo -- is far more imaginative than anything Wilco ever pulled off by trying the same thing (which they do over and over ad nauseam). "Dancefloors," with its biting Telecaster lead line that echoes "Baby Dont Do It" and the Stray Gators country majesty, is full of warmth, depth, and Levon Helms soul. And "Golden," which is the third track in this opening triad, brings James love of Tim Buckley and Fred Neil into the light. But all of these elements of construction are read through James Kentucky and his unique melodic gift, where fragments becomes entire lines become songs with stunning bridges, achingly poetic lyrics, and a country boys sense of whacked-out humor and tenderness (check out "One Big Holiday"). The horn arrangements on "Easy Morning Rebel" make the country shuffle into a near R&B tune with an old-timey stroll through a shambolic rhythm track. In all, My Morning Jacket may be a journey through the past, but its also a solid step into something rock & roll has been missing for an awfully long time in the mainstream arena: melody, extremely catchy and well-written songs that arent afraid of the mainstream, and a love of the great pop continuum that translates into something new. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 19 Title: Chapter 1: The Sandworm Cometh: Early Recordings Released: 2004-11-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Weeks Go By Like Days (04:16) 2 What Will I Do? (01:35) 3 White Rabbit (02:29) 4 Downtown (01:36) 5 I Just Wanted to Be Your Friend (02:29) 6 Time Never Gets (01:43) 7 They Ran (acoustic) (03:32) 8 Evelyn (Be-Mixed) (02:31) 9 Isobella With the White Umbrella (03:04) 10 Josta Dreams and Bitter Hands (01:41) 11 Old September Blues (Gaed Out version) (05:44) 12 When Will They Come (02:17) 13 Somebody Cares About the Maestro (02:01) 14 Rocket Man (04:59) |
| Chapter 1: The Sandworm Cometh: Early Recordings : Allmusic album Review : Drawing from the bands early 7"s, unreleased material, and compilation appearances, My Morning Jackets two reissues from Darla show that the band already had a large back catalog before its first full-length. And with 28 tracks between the two "chapters," this is a wonderful gift to the fans and shows a more personal and simplistic side of MMJ. Even without a full band and less reverb for most of these tracks, the sound from Jim James and the rest of the group (guitarist Johnny Quaid, bassist Two Tone Tommy and drummer J. Glenn) is rich with emotion and imagery. The covers of Jefferson Airplanes "White Rabbit" and Elton Johns "Rocket Man" fit neatly beside originals such as "I Just Wanted to Be Your Friend" and "Evelyn Is Not Real." Along with other such gorgeous moments as "Weeks Go by Like Days," its easy to hear how the talent was already in place so early in MMJs career. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 19 Title: Chapter 2: Learning: Early Recordings Released: 2004-11-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 53:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tonite I Want 2 Celebrate w/ You! (02:26) 2 Just One Thing (demo) (02:32) 3 Take My Breath Away! (05:57) 4 West End Girls (05:34) 5 Dream a Little Dream O Me (04:28) 6 Death Is the Easy Way (demo) (03:13) 7 Bermuda Highway (live) (03:35) 8 Nothing 2 Me (03:04) 9 I Wont Cry! (02:26) 10 Why Dont U Love Me (04:08) 11 That Someone Else Was You (02:12) 12 Tyrone (05:11) 13 I Will Be There When You Die / Sunrides and the Girls Scream (live) (05:15) 14 Good Nights and Happy Trails!!!!! (03:07) |
| Chapter 2: Learning: Early Recordings : Allmusic album Review : Considering that its later albums contributed some of the finest country-rock in the early 00s, it seems out of character for My Morning Jacket to be covering a new wave ballad such as Berlins "Take My Breath Away." With Jim James pretty vocals, however, anything is possible, and he turns a lovely song into a beautiful one. So is the case with much of Early Recordings, Chapter 2: Learning. The bands collection of early work is mainly My Morning Jacket in name only, as James played most of the instruments and, other than the covers (theres also a version of the Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" and Hank Williams "Why Dont You Love Me?"), takes full credit for songwriting. Much of this is lo-fi, allowing a more intimate feel to James performances, some of which are live. Whether that includes the captivating "Just One Thing" or "I Will Be There When You Die," he hints at what was to come on At Dawn and It Still Moves. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 19 Title: Z Released: 2005-10-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wordless Chorus (04:12) 2 It Beats 4 U (03:46) 3 Gideon (03:39) 4 What a Wonderful Man (02:25) 5 Off the Record (05:33) 6 Into the Woods (05:21) 7 Anytime (03:56) 8 Lay Low (06:05) 9 Knot Comes Loose (04:02) 10 Dondante (08:01) |
| Z : Allmusic album Review : In 2004, a dreamy cover of "Rocket Man" concluded My Morning Jackets first volume of rarities. Which was prescient, because its Elton John that Jim James songs for 2005s Z first bring to mind. From the wistful recollection of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" to Honky Chateaus melodic and genre explorations, Johns ability to mesh styles and take detours within his sturdy pop songwriting applies to James here, particularly in the expansive opener, "Wordless Chorus," or the initial happy-go-lucky lilt of "Off the Record." Z is My Morning Jackets fourth full-length (and second for ATO), and its the one that might finally jump-start the reaction that James music has always deserved. It Still Moves from 2003 rightly enjoyed its accolades, but it meandered a little structurally, too, and sometimes got a little lost in its own reverb. On Z, MMJs traditional influences are present -- the folk, blues, and country tones of John, Neil Young, and the Band shaded by contemporaries like Mercury Rev and Mark Kozelek. But songs like "Lay Low" and "It Beats for You" are crafted tighter, their sound-drenched keyboard lines meeting the percussion head on and riding meaningful flourishes of electric guitar. "Gideon" climaxes in James calling out throatily over twinkling piano and big chords borrowed from the Who, and "What a Wonderful Man" is a raucous, crashing tumble of unhinged crash cymbals, barroom piano, and mirthful yelping. Z is intuitive, intensely creative, classicist-minded, nearly flawless. Its music thats extruded from Jim James id, and thats bearded, too. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 19 Title: Okonokos Released: 2006-09-26 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:44:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Wordless Chorus (04:16) 2 It Beats 4 U (04:28) 3 Gideon (03:50) 4 One Big Holiday (05:58) 5 I Will Sing You Songs (08:40) 6 Lowdown (04:16) 7 The Way That He Sings (05:10) 1 At Dawn (03:03) 2 Golden (?) 3 What a Wonderful Man (03:01) 4 Off the Record (?) 5 Laylow (?) 6 Dondante (11:20) 1 Run Thru (09:37) 2 Xmas Curtain (05:04) 3 O Is the One That Is Real (03:38) 4 Steam Engine (11:09) 5 Dancefloors (05:17) 1 I Think Im Going to Hell (05:18) 2 Anytime (04:05) 3 Mahgeetah (06:35) 4 Where to Begin (?) 5 Sooner (?) 6 Strangulation (?) |
| Okonokos : Allmusic album Review : A lot has been made of the Okonokos DVD, My Morning Jackets live concert film, recorded at San Franciscos Fillmore Auditorium. The live performance DVD is so seductive and powerful because of the lush backdrop set and wonderfully immediate manner in which it was shot, as well as the music, yet the double-CD that accompanies it and the four-LP vinyl set on Badman Records seem to get scant attention. Sure, theyre mentioned, but somehow just as geegaws to accompany the DVD. Wrong. It all comes down to the music, after all, and the Louisville, Kentucky, quintet get that big time. Its why the CD was issued first and the DVD came later. The DVD should be seen; its gorgeous, its wild and woolly and beautiful all at once. But Okonokos the CD is one hell of a live record. Certainly, since it was recorded on the tour for the incredibly successful album Z, it concentrates on a lot of the bands 2000s material. But they dig deep, too, and go back to 1999s "I Think Im Going to Hell" from The Tennessee Fire, as well as "The Way That He Sings" and "It Still Moves" from 2001s At Dawn, and "I Will Sing You Songs" and "Mahgeetah" from the It Still Moves disc in 2003 to close the entire show. There have been references to Neil Young & Crazy Horse, in terms of how My Morning Jacket works as a band, but dont believe it. My Morning Jacket have the spontaneity and raw wiry energy to be sure -- they dont try to cover the flubs -- but theyre infinitely tighter than those loud garage yobs who believe that playing slower than cough syrup with codeine is a virtue. The sheer musicianship that My Morning Jacket put on display on this intense, diverse, and focused live show is rather astonishing. Sure, they know how to "jam" and could have blown the doors off most of the bands in that genre had they been dumb enough to go down that path. (One listen to the 11-minute "Dondante" is proof enough that they could have been the new Grateful Dead or some such creativity-killing notion.) Like Englands Gomez, theyre smart and weave everything into the mix of hooks, lyric flourishes, and power chords. They have the indie rock mantle prominently displayed but are as tight as U2 -- and, no, they dont sound like them. In fact, as the evidence here clearly displays, My Morning Jacket sound like no one but themselves. Frontman Jim James is as charismatic and self-effacing as they come. Guitarist (and also saxophonist) Carl Broemel is a lyrical monster, both as a fine melodic improviser and as a rock & roll lead guitar player. Listen to the way he handles "Gideon" and "Lowdown," and blows sax at the end of "Dondante." The three-piece rhythm section of Bo Kosters understated but emotionally and technically taut keyboards, Two-Tone Tommys bass playing and baritone vocals, and drummer Patrick Hallahans inventive spot in the pocket, are full of surprising twists and turns. Near the end of disc two, theres a drawling, dreamy, 11-minute "Steam Engine" (with all the solos) giving way to the stomping honky tonk rock of "Dancefloors" in a performance worthy of Lynyrd Skynyrds One More from the Road -- the picture would be complete if the Band were included as guests. My Morning Jacket are a band at the pinnacle of their power. Like great jazz musicians, theyve learned to instinctively play together and make the most of every number. "Mahgeetah" sends the whole trip out on a sweet note. The feel-good rhythm and bluesed-up country-rock groove pour out so naturally and transcendentally that its no surprise that the audience and band have bonded. Okonokos is one of the best live recordings of the 2000s. The DVD experience is a plus, and a welcome and aesthetically innovative one that adds depth and dimension to music played so soulfully and good-naturedly that its almost impossible to think it could have been improved upon. Get both. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 19 Title: At Dawn/Tennessee Fire Demos Package Released: 2007-06-11 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:17:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 L.O.Z. (intro) (01:30) 2 The Way That He Sings (05:03) 3 Hopefully (03:48) 4 Bermuda Highway (02:53) 5 Just Because I Do (02:59) 6 Lowdown (04:19) 7 At Dawn (01:54) 8 I Needed It Most (04:26) 9 Lead Me Father (03:12) 10 Phone Went West (03:50) 11 Chills (07:28) 12 Heartbreakin Man (03:05) 13 The Bear (04:07) 14 Picture of You (03:36) 15 I Think Im Going to Hell (04:22) 16 Butch Cassidy (03:01) 17 War Begun (live WFPK) (05:34) 18 Twilight (live WFPK) (05:19) 19 Lil Billy (live Nashvegas) (06:17) 20 Magic Man (00:58) |
 | Album: 14 of 19 Title: Evil Urges Released: 2008-06-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 55:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Evil Urges (05:11) 2 Touch Me Im Going to Scream, Part 1 (03:49) 3 Highly Suspicious (03:04) 4 Im Amazed (04:33) 5 Thank You Too! (04:26) 6 Sec Walkin (03:35) 7 Two Halves (02:33) 8 Librarian (04:16) 9 Look at You (03:27) 10 Aluminum Park (03:56) 11 Remnants (03:01) 12 Smokin From Shootin (05:04) 13 Touch Me Im Going to Scream, Part 2 (08:12) 14 Good Intentions (00:04) |
| Evil Urges : Allmusic album Review : For those who werent convinced by Zs left-hand turns, Evil Urges cements My Morning Jackets transformation from grizzled, reverb-drenched classic rockers to experimental, genre-bending innovators. Theres always been a slight disconnect between the bands image and sound; frontman Jim James once howled his melodies behind curtains of long hair while lashing at his Flying V guitar, looking like a Metallica roadie while sounding like Neil Young in an echo chamber. But 2008s Evil Urges -- with its diversions into funk and prog, its falsetto vocals, its eclecticism -- is a different animal entirely, perhaps the furthest My Morning Jacket have ever sounded from the Southern psychedelia that launched them ten years prior. The bandmates look different, too, having trimmed their bushy beards and unruly hair for the photos that grace the album sleeve. Physical appearances may have little to do with this groups sound, but the clean-shaven look further challenges the worlds perception of My Morning Jacket, a band that was once lumped into the same down n dirty rock bin as the Drive-By Truckers and Kings of Leon. The members of My Morning Jacket now want to occupy their own orbit, and Evil Urges is as spacy as it gets. "Evil Urges," "Touch Me Im Going to Scream, Pt. 1," and "Highly Suspicious" comprise the opening lineup, which jumpstarts the album with 13 minutes of sexy, tripped-out electro-funk. James slips into a falsetto during the title track, his voice clear and reverb-free as he coos in a bedroom whisper. "Touch Me" bubbles with interstellar keyboard effects and harmonies -- for the stoner contingent of MMJs audience, this is the logical place to fire up the bong -- while "Highly Suspicious" delivers the albums biggest shocker, mixing James best Prince impression with bizarre lyrics ("Tapping your lines, peanut butter pudding surprise!") and bursts of laugher. Its the kind of polarizing song that fans will either love or loathe, and given its prominent spot in the track list -- batting third, a spot usually reserved for heavy-hitters -- its obviously meant to elicit a strong reaction. But that seems to be the crux of Evil Urges; after years of being shoehorned into various genres, My Morning Jacket have put their collective foot down, insisting that theyre not a neo-psychedelic outfit, an alt-country group, a jam band, or the contemporary torchbearers of Southern rock & roll. Theyre none of those things -- or perhaps theyre all of those things, as Evil Urges offers the widest swath of musical fare in the My Morning Jacket catalog. Theres rock & roll ("Aluminum Park," "Im Amazed"), country ("Sec Walkin"), rootsy pop nuggets ("Two Halves"), ballads about sexy bookworms ("Librarian"), and the aforementioned trips into Funkytown. "Touch Me Im Going to Scream, Pt. 2" concludes the album with eight minutes of kaleidoscopic sound, and Evil Urges ultimately ends the same way it began -- with a willingness to explore, to challenge, to poke and prod at My Morning Jackets past work while creating something new. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 19 Title: iTunes Live From Las Vegas at the Palms Released: 2009-01-12 Tracks: 6 Duration: 23:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tonight I Want to Celebrate With You (03:17) 2 Dear Wife (03:01) 3 Knot Comes Loose (04:49) 4 From Nashville to Kentucky (04:19) 5 They Ran (03:20) 6 Thank You Too (04:33) |
 | Album: 16 of 19 Title: Celebración De La Ciudad Natal Released: 2009-04-18 Tracks: 8 Duration: 47:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Evil Urges (06:01) 2 Highly Suspicious (03:13) 3 Speech! Speech! Speech! (02:03) 4 Gideon (04:02) 5 Where to Begin (03:58) 6 Librarian (04:31) 7 Phone Went West (08:59) 8 Dondante (14:31) |
 | Album: 17 of 19 Title: Circuital Released: 2011-05-31 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Victory Dance (05:40) 2 Circuital (07:19) 3 The Day Is Coming (03:17) 4 Wonderful (The Way I Feel) (04:17) 5 Outta My System (03:22) 6 Holdin on to Black Metal (04:19) 7 First Light (03:46) 8 You Wanna Freak Out (03:20) 9 Slow Slow Tune (04:31) 10 Movin Away (05:13) |
| Circuital : Allmusic album Review : On 2008’s Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket pushed their music to the breaking point. What was supposed to be a musical melting pot -- with funk, Southern rock, country, and neo-psychedelia all mixed in -- wound up coalescing like a mixed plate of genuine hits (“I’m Amazed”) and overcooked duds (“Highly Suspicious”). The album marked a creative milestone for My Morning Jacket, but it also hinted at their inability to reign themselves in, to realize their limits and tailor their experiments accordingly. The guys hit the reset button on Circuital, which sounds like Evil Urges’ older, (slightly) wiser brother. This isn’t a conventional rock album by any means, and My Morning Jacket rarely waste an opportunity to dive down the creative rabbit hole and see what exists on the other side. ‘70s rock epics, trippy pop waltzes, piano ballads, Motown metal fusions, and orchestral folk songs are what they come up with, and the album rarely explores the same sound twice, bouncing between amalgamated genres with purpose and a sly grin. There’s humor here, of course -- “Holdin’ on the Black Metal” combines a children’s choir with funky brass and fuzztone guitars, and Jim James hums the victorious horn riff in “Victory Dance” like he’s doing an impression of “The Final Countdown” -- but there’s no talk of “peanut butter pudding surprise,” and most of the jokes hit their mark. My Morning Jacket are clearly having fun, and they’re learning how to be “out there” without being outlandish. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 19 Title: iTunes Session Released: 2011-12-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 54:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Ill Be Home for Christmas (03:31) 2 Welcome Home (03:43) 3 Please Come Home for Christmas (03:02) 4 Christmas Must Be Tonight (03:49) 5 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (02:45) 6 Wonderful (05:07) 7 When the Bells Start Ringing (03:38) 8 Interview (29:02) |
 | Album: 19 of 19 Title: The Waterfall Released: 2015-05-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Believe (Nobody Knows) (04:55) 2 Compound Fracture (03:44) 3 Like a River (04:50) 4 In Its Infancy (The Waterfall) (05:12) 5 Get the Point (03:01) 1 Spring (Among the Living) (06:01) 2 Thin Line (04:03) 3 Big Decisions (03:53) 4 Tropics (Erase Traces) (05:10) 5 Only Memories Remain (07:10) |
| The Waterfall : Allmusic album Review : My Morning Jackets eclecticism has long been one of their strong suits, but their sonic wanderlust seems to fail them a bit on their seventh studio album, The Waterfall. Jim James and his bandmates have followed a lot of different stylistic paths since they made their debut at the end of the 90s, and the polished, prog-laced classic rock sound of "Believe (Nobody Knows)" and the sleek mix of soft rock and Euro-disco on "Compound Fracture" are both effective and sterling examples of stuff MMJ couldnt have pulled off in their early days. But after a promising start, the band seems to slip into something of a rut, and The Waterfall quickly loses focus and runs short of energy, the latter being this sets crippling flaw. Songs like "Thin Line" and "Tropics (Erase Traces)" easily slip into a stoned midtempo drift that plays like aural navel-gazing, despite the strength of the performances, and the closer, "Only Memories Remain," threatens to send both the players and listeners into a sound slumber as the album meanders back to shore. Its significant that the albums simplest and most emotionally direct song, "Get the Point," is in many ways the best, and if it breaks no new ground, it sounds honest and straight from the heart, and connects with a strength most of the songs on The Waterfall lack. (Most of the four bonus tracks on the deluxe edition hit harder than the material on the "official" release, which suggests the meandering tone of the album may have been deliberate.) Much of The Waterfall sounds like My Morning Jacket looking for new paths for their own sake, rather than fearlessly following their muse as they did on Evil Urges and Circuital, and the tight but comfortable give and take between the musicians and Tucker Martines clear, strong production only helps so much when the songs are often lacking. The Waterfall suggests maybe My Morning Jacket would be better off doing a few things well rather than losing their way down several different paths. | ||