The long awaited and highly anticipated Evil Urges dropped today. My Morning Jacket's fifth studio album, the band availed its title track, "Evil Urges", weeks ago for download. They've since played it, along with "I'm Amazed", on Saturday Night Live. I'll be the first to admit I didn't like "Evil Urges" upon the first handful of listens. What jumped out at me immediately was Jim James' Prince-ian vocal performance. Nowhere to be found was his trademark other end of a hallway vocal, an audible gift of a kind and quality unlike any other. Didn't see this coming...
I've since come to appreciate and welcome the potential for a sonic departure from MMJ. Expectations for what My Morning Jacket should sound like have been cast aside. And why not? I've never been one to balk at a change in direction based solely upon my own inertia. To the contrary, I welcome it. I applaud it. In an age of formulaic bullshit that begs no further explanation, you can't say enough about a band ready and willing to abandon a commercially proven sound to explore other sounds. In a way, my eventual assessment of this album will either elevate or diminish my perception of Jim James and Co. as musicians: capable but relegated to a jammy meets psychedelic indie with a southern twang niche, or a true musical talent with diverse chops and a staying power to match.
Well I just downloaded it. I'll let you know how it goes.
1 comment:
I just got back from Bonnaroo and My Morning Jacket was somewhat disappointing. There was not a whole lot of enthusiasm from the crowd (I estimate about 15,000 at this particular show).
However, Willie Nelson, Death Cab, Pearl Jam, and Ozomatli were the highlights for me.
Hell, even Ben Folds was good. (There I said it!) He retired his cover of Dr. Dre's 'Bitches aint Shit' or whatever the title of that song is.
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