T.C. of an O.J.

Now, this will be fun. Bear with me, I’ve an ear bud in one ear while the other must remain on-call while I’m at work. I’m not listening to My Morning Jacket’s new album “Evil Urges” in my sound proof booth, but I’ll do my best and let you know what I think, as I listen along:

1. “Evil Urges” – The title track and the only song I’ve heard previously. I believe this kind singing is called falsetto, which is definitely a different twist for My Morning Jacket. ‘Evil Urges’ is a solid song that’s growing on me by the listen, much as MMJ’s music on the whole tends to. My outlook for the entire album is very optimistic after hearing this track- I think that while this song is good, we’ll hear better before the album is over.

2. “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 1″ – Some nice sounds here. Are we setting up for something big in part 2? Only time will tell. A little synth and a whole different feel from the first track.

3. “Highly Suspicious” – if you just played this song for me without telling me this was MMJ, I would have never guessed. I probably would have hypothesized this was Living Colour’s follow up to “Cult of Personality”. This is a fun song that will have people talking when they hear “Evil Urges”. It sounds like Prince featuring Technotronic and Green Jelly. I anticipate some won’t like this, but on the initial listen, I love it. Maybe after time, the novelty will wear, but right now I’m reaching for repeat. This is my jam so far. Judging from the first three tracks alone, this album is better than most I’ve heard in awhile. It’s daring and a definite departure for MMJ.

4. “I’m Amazed” – Now, this is the signature MMJ reverb heavy vocal and we hear some of that southern Skynyrd sounding geetar attempting to burst through. But, this is why I love MMJ- the songs are laid back, jam-like, and reverby, but there’s so much tension there. You feel like its going to build and rock out, but they don’t give it to as soon as other bands do. Finally, when they do it is sweet. But, they don’t give you too much.

My Morning Jacket's Jim James rocks out.

So Rock n’ Roll it hurts.

5. “Thank You Too” – “You really brought out the naked part”? Is that what vocalist Jim James just said? I don’t know how I feel about this song; it sounds like someone’s thankful alright. If not for the naked part, I’d say they were thankful for their Grandmother for raising them when Mom and Dad died, despite the fact they never showed it. I do like the straight-up guitar, sounds like I would if I just plugged right into an amp.

6. “Sec Walkin’” – a definite country feel at the start. Okay, this song and the last one remind me of something seventies, just can’t put my finger on it. James Taylor…something off of a soft rock station my mom used to listen to in the car when we were little. Sounds really familiar and comfortable like an old pair of shoes you forgot you had buried back in your closet. I like the background vocals and I’m picturing a seventies lounge band. I just wish I could identify which singer this song reminds of. Over the last couple tracks, the guitar has a dream-like kind of sound I just can’t think of how to describe. Maybe if this wasn’t just the first listen…who thought of this idea anyway?

7. “Two Halves” – love the reverb. The middle of the album is really soft and laid back. Not bad, but after the first few tracks, maybe I was expecting something more up tempo. I don’t want to say this is a sad album, because it isn’t, but it’s definitely melancholy. Reminds me of driving to your Grandmother’s house when you were little on a sunny Saturday morning in a station wagon. I don’t know if I ever drove to my grandparent’s house under those circumstances, but listening to this, I think I might have.

8. “Librarian” - Just name dropped “Karen of the Carpenters” and this whole time I’ve been holding back a Carpenters comparison of my own. This is Carpenter-quese, I should know. My parents used to listen to that group all the time. “Sexiest librarian”…weird, all the songs are about someone. Not just the usual vagueness that’s often present in most songs where they could really be about anyone, this album and this song have so much detail and personal touch- they are being sung to someone specific. I can’t tell on first listen from the lyrics if all the songs tie together to one person or not.

9. “Look At You” – seems to have a similar feel to the previous tracks. This is a really personal album, “Look at you..you”, sounds like Jim James is singing to someone he had a friendship or a relationship once, but maybe doesn’t now and is fondly recalling it.

10. “Aluminum Park” – Rockin’ now. Some big, driving guitar with a little distortion. “Aluminium Park” fitting name for MMJ, most of their vocals and sounds bring to mind like a big metal airplane hanger for me. I don’t know why, I’ve just always pictured one of those big, rusty metal air plane hangers in the middle of nowhere on an overcast day when I hear MMJ. I love how MMJ do their “rock-out” songs: they still maintain that reserved feel, even when they’re going “Wahhooow!” I like the piano coming in over the guitar buzz.

11. “Remnants” – two up-tempo numbers back to back, this time with some really howling guitar. That guitar been begging to be released since “Highly Suspicious”. Another thing about MMJ striking me again, they always have that urgent sounding feel, it doesn’t matter what tempo or style the song is. The Music always comes across as genuine- like they wrote it because they wanted to, not because they were trying to sell records or felt obligated to.

12. “Smokin From Shootin” – Wow, I really like this song. It’s sort of slow, but definitely not boring. There’s anticipation here and it feels like it might build to something. It has that urgent MMJ feel to we were talking about, despite the successful use of that country whining instrument (wish I knew what that was). This is a nice track. I like the way James sings “Do…you…see” short and longingly, as if he really is hoping whoever this is written to is watching him. Without a doubt, my favorite song of this album.

13. “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2″ – got some wind blowingish sounds and we’ve got 8 minutes left…I wonder where this is going. Now, some synth again, as we heard in part 1. Wait, the driving drums just kicked in and for a split second or two, they reminded me of some “Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring…they still do.

14. “Good Intentions” – screech! What? Done.

Overall, not something I’d want to pop in at just anytime. The album feels too mature and laidback to do that. The album, however, is way too complicated and different from what’s coming out now for me to just push aside. It also seemed familiar to me, for reasons I still can’t put my finger on. “Evil Urges” probably won’t go down as a classic for me, but there’s something to be said for music that takes you away somewhere. The album has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. I feel this album must be examined further to appreciate.

My Morning Jacket’s “Evil Urges” will be released officially June 10, 2008.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 10:59 am and is filed under Blogroll, Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.