With 'Circuital' My Morning Jacket have completed their journey from purveyors of out-and-out Southern Rock into the versatile experimental pop beast they threatened, at times unconvincingly, to be in 2008 with 'Evil Urges'. They're basically a vehicle for the visionary songwriting talent of Jim James and of late he's really shown a refusal to be pigeonholed by genre. As was hinted at with the George Harrison tribute set released under the name Yim Yames, his musical artistic template is none other than the wide open palette that The Beatles operated within. Fortunately, his compositional skills have a range to match and this record has brought to the forefront the premier league standard of his songs. Tunes like 'Victory Dance' and in particular 'Outta My System' (about the writers relief at having put his wild days behind him combined with understanding as to why he behaved that way at all) are direct and beautiful melodies, the kind that provoke wonder that you haven't heard the song before, as the best songs often do. Stand out foot stomper 'Holding On To Black Metal' is a tantalising mixture of soulful chorus backing vocals, funky riffing and viscious guitar slashing alongside a daring James falsetto vocal. Played live it's even more of an impressive piledriver. This is a strong album from start to finish and it's one that cements My Morning Jacket's position as a band serving the muse of one songwriting genius a-la Wilco; the difference possibly being that this band are still building towards a career defining creative peak.Sunday 25 December 2011
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2011 No.8 - MY MORNING JACKET, Circuital
With 'Circuital' My Morning Jacket have completed their journey from purveyors of out-and-out Southern Rock into the versatile experimental pop beast they threatened, at times unconvincingly, to be in 2008 with 'Evil Urges'. They're basically a vehicle for the visionary songwriting talent of Jim James and of late he's really shown a refusal to be pigeonholed by genre. As was hinted at with the George Harrison tribute set released under the name Yim Yames, his musical artistic template is none other than the wide open palette that The Beatles operated within. Fortunately, his compositional skills have a range to match and this record has brought to the forefront the premier league standard of his songs. Tunes like 'Victory Dance' and in particular 'Outta My System' (about the writers relief at having put his wild days behind him combined with understanding as to why he behaved that way at all) are direct and beautiful melodies, the kind that provoke wonder that you haven't heard the song before, as the best songs often do. Stand out foot stomper 'Holding On To Black Metal' is a tantalising mixture of soulful chorus backing vocals, funky riffing and viscious guitar slashing alongside a daring James falsetto vocal. Played live it's even more of an impressive piledriver. This is a strong album from start to finish and it's one that cements My Morning Jacket's position as a band serving the muse of one songwriting genius a-la Wilco; the difference possibly being that this band are still building towards a career defining creative peak.
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