My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

[Writer's note: While today I should be writing about the show, it seems that the new MMJ record is more present in my mind so I shall review it instead]

I love My Morning Jacket. I do. I love the singable melodies, the huge reverb, the amazing shows, and their progression through the years. I discovered Z first and worked backward. Z is such a stand out record for me because nearly every chorus has a melody that one just aches to sing along to. The music is well written, the lyrics have meaning, the recording itself is phenomenal, and it's just the right length.

When I heard that they were releasing a new record soon, I waited on pins and needles to hear it. Today during my drive I listened to it three times in a row and I must say I'm a little surprised. Throughout their career, the members of MMJ (mainly Jim James) have flirted with alt-country, space rock, noise rock, and indie. Each album shows a growing musicianship and talent for arranging and Evil Urges is no different. However, the vocal melodies that were once so appealing are not as present in this record.

The title track begins with strongly until the vocals come in: Jim James is almost squealing his lines. It's a little bit of a turn off. Two songs later, "Highly Suspicious," you would swear that Prince was coming over the loud speakers. This song rocks. It has a great melody, a pumping bass line and a tempo that makes it a great driving song. Again though, the vocals are strange. The chorus (a chanted "Highly Suspicious") is sung more or less sarcastically or playfully.

Two songs that really strike a chord with me (and not in a good way) are "Two Halves" and "The Librarian." The chorus of "Two Halves" is a little out there for me and not what I'm used to from My Morning Jacket. With "The Librarian," he mentions that we don't use books much anymore since we got the interweb [sic]. Interweb. Jim James may not think of it this way, but I believe that most artists should think ahead to the lasting impression of their work. Including kitschy slang like "interweb" does not bode well unless, heaven help us, it becomes a common word through major usage.

That's not to say that the entire album is that way because it's not. I will say that Evil Urges is a grower and you can most definitely find gems in it. Those of you who aren't as concerned with lyrics or vocals really will find it remarkable. But for those who have been waiting patiently for a new album full of James' reverb laden vocals, you may have to keep waiting.

That said, I can still greatly appreciate this record and I know I will be coming back to it again and again, but I don't feel I can give it the same 4 star rating I would have given Z. I continue listening to it again and again hoping to find something new. Fans will love it, casual fans may feel alienated by the playful vocals. I do think they will gain a whole host of new fans with this one though. Either way, I'm excited to see them again.