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Album of the Week: My Morning Jacket - Circuital

I first saw My Morning Jacket back in my freshmen year of college opening for the Doves in Toronto at the Kool Haus.  I was a big fan of the Doves as I had thing for Brit Rock at the time, so when MMJ came out, I expected to just zone out like I do from time to time for openers and wait for the British trio to emerge. I had no clue who MMJ were at the time and did not expect much.  They were touring to support their 2001 release At Dawn as well as road test some new songs. I do not recall many of the songs they played that night, "X-Mas Curtain" was def on the set list, but it was not until the band unleashed the epic "One Big Holiday" on to the crowd that I truly began to pay attention.  The band in those days did not look as dapper as they do now, rather then looking like a modern day Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Lead singer Jim James, whose hair seemed to go to his knees, spun it like a hypnotic windmill while the band completely killed the song.  Just like that, I had a new favorite band.  I went right over to the merchandise table after the show, bought At Dawn, had a particularly awkward exchange with the band as they all signed my copy, and listened to it the entire way home from Toronto.  The Doves and MMJ just happened to be playing in Rochester the following night so I got a ticket and went back to see them. 


Since then, the band has become indie rock kings of sorts and their live shows have become the stuff of legends.  Those who were lucky enough to see them play with Wilco at Rockin the Knox a few years back can attest to that.  Their 2003 year album It Still Moves was a massive college radio hit and saw them continue their great southern rock sound that initially caught my attention in Toronto, while Z saw the band leaning more towards a space rock sound with equally great results.  Their last album, Evil Urges, turned out to be a very polarizing release.  A few of us here at buffaBLOG still go back and forth on the how good or bad the album is.  I still think "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part 1 & 2" are two of their best tracks.  Pitchfork, who I read on a daily basis and generally respect their reviews, gave the album a rather dismal 4.7.  While I did not think it was quite that bad, the album proved to be a bit too ambitious for the bands good and in general was a disappointment after the great It Still Moves and Z.


So that brings us to the release of the band's latest album Circuital.  After Evil Urges, you could say the band had a bit of pressure on them to recapture the glory of their earlier releases.  The opening track, "Victory Dance", first sounds like it should have been included on Evil Urges, put ends up being a sneaky set up for what is to come.  The title almost seems likes the band thinks even they are back on their game.  The title track is vintage My Morning Jacket and would have perfectly fit in on It Still Moves.  Although the track is over 7 minutes long, it never wears out it's welcome.  "Wonderful(The Way I Feel)" is one of those simple, yet pretty songs they always seem to include on their albums (i.e. "Knot Comes Loose, "Look At You").

"Holdin On To Black Metal" is the most striking song on the album and my favorite song on the new release.  Female backing vocals and a very present horn section turn this song into a strange, yet great sing-along. The album ends with the beautiful "Movin Away".  If there is anything I am a sucker these days, its peddle steal guitar and this song brings it.  The closing track also featuring a steady piano melody and simple drum beats backing James' crackling voice throughout the song.  It may be hard for MMJ to very replicate the greatness of It Still Moves and Z, but for someone who has been a fan of the band since the near beginning, Circuital is a welcome return to form to one of the better bands out there.
~mm

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