I got my first taste of My Morning Jacket in 2004 almost mid-way through the initial decade of the band’s career. It was shortly after I began working at KCRW when then music director Nic Harcout played the stark yet powerful track “Golden” off of the band’s live EP Acoustic Citsuoca on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Hearing Jim James’ pining and wistful voice float through KCRW early that morning was one of those rare moments where everything around you seems to fall sideways and you’re left with a feeling the song is just between you and the artist. I was an instant fan. And quickly worked backward to discover the band’s first three studio albums, The Tennessee Fire, At Dawn, and It Still Moves.
Moments similar to my first encounter with the band are also beautifully present on their new record. Circuital offers up a diverse mix of songs, from retro-choral driven anthems to the more intimate tracks that spotlight the band’s alt-country roots and allow Jim James’ vocals to take center stage. “Wonderful” is just that: a feel-good acoustic showcase for James’ poetic twang. While the title track layers uplifting guitar riffs over the aching, haunting sound so often found in the band’s balladry. And “Slow Slow Tune” and “Movin’ Away” deliver an ethereal charm that feel like slow romance, filled with possibility and the warm companionship of Jim James’ vocals.
My Morning Jacket’s sixth studio album is both a continuation of their more recent psych-rock experimentation and also a coming home of sorts. The band returned to Kentucky to record the album, in the gym of a church in their hometown of Louisville, and their trademark southern psychedelic folk melodies reappear along with their magical ability to build sonic escape hatches that seem to remove you from the everyday trappings of life.
People have a very personal experience with this band. They built their following slowly, one fan at a time, beginning with coffeehouse shows in Louisville and gaining momentum through hard work, constant touring and epic live shows like their 4-hour headlining performance at Bonnaroo in 2008. And it has paid off. My Morning Jacket have found a sweet equilibrium between cult-band and critical darlings. The new record exhibits that relaxed security in their sound and music, as they confidently push creative boundaries while remaining true to who they are as musicians.
Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about My Morning Jacket on May 31st during Morning Becomes Eclectic. We’ve got something special brewing but mums the word for now… more to come!
-- Whitney Alderson, Producer, KCRW Album Preview
Banner Photo by: Danny Clinch
Circuital will be available to stream on demand from May 23 through June 21, 2011. The album will be released on Tuesday, May 31, 2011.
Artist website: http://www.mymorningjacket.com/gogo
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
My Morning Jacket on MBE
10/22/2001
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb011022my_morning_jacket
10/9/2002
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb021009my_morning_jacket
5/9/2003
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb030509my_morning_jacket
10/28/2003
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb031028my_morning_jacket
MBE 11/10/2005
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb051110my_morning_jacket
Jim James and Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket on MBE
10/27/2006
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb061027jim_james_and_carl_b