My Morning Jacket - Z review

My Morning Jacket – Z – 2005
4 stars out of 5
Download – Wordless Chorus, It Beats 4 U, and Anytime

My Morning Jacket formed seven years ago in Kentucky, when Jim James decided to pursue his passion for music. Carrying a perfect contemporary, indie/ alternative sound, MMJ has been a band to watch for quite a while. I have heard a lot of ..Jacket’s songs, but this is the first album I have bothered to purchase, to see what all the fuss was about. Especially since European press will not let this band’s popularity die down (sound like another alternative-folk rock band to you? i.e. Kings of Leon) Many compare Mr. James too Neil Young himself; and the bands also get many comparisons with the Flaming Lips (another band I enjoy, and also a connection I immediately drew). My Morning Jacket has gone through many, many line-up changes, but all of which have circled around Jim James. Bassist Two-Tone Tommy has stuck through and through, and then most recently added members (after other members decided to retire the toll taking business) are Bo Koster (keyboards) and Carl Broemel (guitar) and close friend of James, Patrick Hallahan (drums).

My Morning Jacket’s fourth full-length album, Z, was released in early October of 2005. The fourth album is very, very well done. Calming and at the same time exhilarating when it gets to that certain point in every song where it just brings a smile on your face.

Opening up the album is one of the best track 1’s I have heard in a long time, since Smells Like Teen Spirit or Death Cab’s “New Year” opening up 2004’s Transatlanticism. The song is Wordless Chorus, and it is my favorite track on the record. The song starts off very low key with a dull ring of bass-synthesizers coming in. And then, that voice. The voice that could make Satan weep, keys in with slight cymbal crashing behind him. Then the wordless chorus comes in (it wasn’t just a clever song name) of all 5 members aaaaaah-ing and James later howling. It is an ingenious song, original in almost every aspect even though this song is very, very (in my opinion) Flaming Lips-esque. Immediately download this song if you don’t have (or intend on having) this record. My other choice tracks are; It Beats 4 U and Anytime.

Basically this whole album is wonderful though. Definitely worth a good listen if you like music. If you enjoy such bands as the Flaming Lips, Wilco, or the New Pornographers this band is definitely one to check out.