My Morning Jacket - Circuital

If people weren’t busy being phonies then they’d probably realize how amazing a band like My Morning Jacket really is. I wrote about Z before and hopefully it’s gotten some good talk and now the band has returned with Circuital. Although it’s probably not as good as that 2005 masterpiece, the wonder with My Morning Jacket is the way they reign in on their strengths. Haters or shall we say, downplayers, will say “well, their live show is amazing but no one album can reach that height,” and really, that’s just phony, lame talk. A band can be judged for making great studio albums without needing to prove anything else to anyone else. And their merits lie in the fact that they make fantastic music: music that both entices and thrills with a sense of energy and spirit. So add another great album to their arsenal; it’s more than just an aphorism if you ask me, this is one awesome band.

On the title track to the album (click on the picture above to see the image in full size [bad ass liner notes that came with the vinyl]) Jim James’ voice is a marvelous thing to behold. Starting with a light drum stomp that is highlighted by a bright guitar part through the segues, James’ voice shines as the star of the show. You can hear the atmospherics that drive the band’s depth to an immersing spectrum and then you hear the roar of the drums as the songs kicks in and as everything breaks away, James sings “Circuits, all in and out…connect my body, deep into the ground.” The song rolls through its seven-minute pace with a sparkling keyboard that cascades the ending. Fully spreading the aforementioned spectrum into something lush, radiant and colorful, the music justly soars over everything else. It’s probably the most exciting moment on the album and really, tremendous.


Of all the other great tunes on this hit record, I couldn’t tear away my sentimental heart from “Moving Away”’s sad tones. It’s hard to really know what the song means but I’m guessing that he’s got no other choice but to move away, although he admits – with great dear care – “I won't forget the one I left behind.” The troublesome piano part lends itself as the lonely melody to support James’ bittersweet words as he sings, “I'll always be an alarmist who'll jump at a chance: anything for romance!...I hope I'll always be what you want.” There’s deep sadness in the sentiment he’s expressing but it’s as if there was no other choice and although she probably means a lot to him, he made the drastic move in moving away. In the end, it’s about looking for something new and exciting and well, as James sings, “A new life to create,” the somber piano closes out the album in lulling fashion. – Bryan