My Morning Jacket - Circuital

Fresh out of Louisville, Kentucky My Morning Jacket are back at it again with their brand new album Circuital. The follow up to 2008's incredible Evil Urges finds the southern psychedelic rock group building on the sound from their previous effort into something more advanced and unlike any other album that is currently out there in the marketplace today.

The album starts off fresh with "Victory Dance" a laid back, melodic roots rock jam that gives you a glimpse inside the vocal work of frontman Jim James, who adds a unique persona and style to each song that cannot be replicated by anyone else out there and is an appropriate title to celebrate the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup victory from last night! My favorite song off the album is the disc's title track, an edgy and stylish 7 and a half minute rocker that blends in elements of country and roots rock that exemplifies everything the group is about with rich melodic undertones complimenting the amazing rhythms heard in great abundance here. "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" is a calm, melancholy acoustic number that is the perfect summertime chill song when you're relaxing out on the porch on a cool summer night with Jim's voice providing the perfect soundtrack for that moment. "Outta My System" is an intricate, spacey jam that talks about the band's recreational drug use and how it affects their songwriting process, something that many like minded bands within their genre can relate to.

We're in the disc's second half, and we're coming across the album's first single "Holdin' On To Black Metal" a melodic, upbeat number with a children's choir heard at various points throughout the song that provides for an excellent touch to the tune. "You Wanna Freak Out" is a psychedelic, atmospheric tune with intricate rhythms that are ripe for the picking and features a neat guitar arrangement that makes this song one of the many highlights of the disc so far. We reach the album's final two tracks with "Slow Slow Tune" which is a fitting title for the track as the song's tempo is slowed down considerably than that of the other songs on the album, hence the song's appropriate name. The disc's finale "Movin' Away" is an ethereal, somber tune that adds in some blues rock influences to the band's repertoire and also shows off the band's diversity and the many genres that the band is capable of dabbling in to a great degree. What made the band's last effort Evil Urges so successful was their ability to experiment in different genres of music while still maintaining their psychedelic rock aesthetic, something that is very hard for bands to accomplish these days. One of the prominent bands out there in the scene and a rare treat to find these days.

In retrospect, a solid and well orchestrated effort from My Morning Jacket, who continue to bring their unique, organic music to an open minded and enthusiastic audience who are desperately looking for a break from the ordinary type of music out there these days.

                                                                                                                                  Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Victory Dance
2. Circuital
3. The Day Is Coming
4. Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
5. Outta My System
6. Holdin' On To Black Metal
7. First Light
8. You Wanna Freak Out
9. Slow Slow Tune
10. Movin' Away