Circuital [CD]

After listening to the three preview songs released by Tennessee reverb rockers on various blogs over the past weeks expectations have been raised of the prospect of a scintillating new album by My Morning Jacket. Jim James and Co have always been a fascinating project and previous albums such as the monumental "It still moves" and the innovative "Z" saw them being described as the American equivalent to Radiohead. But whereas Thom Yorke's crew headed off into the room marked "Experimental" following the huge success of "OK Computer", alternatively MMJ decided to head somewhere nearer the mainstream which led to the spectacle of a bunch of hairy Southern rockers doing lacklustre Prince imitations ("Highly suspicious") and faithful live covers of "Careless Whispers". It was all going to end in tears and with the release of 2008s generally dire "Evil Urges" it allowed cynics the chance to utter a loud "I told you so" despite the fact that it sold rather well.

Lets deal with the three aforementioned songs first. The excellent opener "Victory Dance" actually has echoes of some of the war themes in P J Harvey's recent "Let England Shake" and is a broody powerful song that starts with a military coda and is driven by a sinister bass to an explosive conclusion. It is followed by the epic title track underpinned by a fantastic Jim James vocal namely the seven minute plus "Circuital" which will has already brought the house down at their explosive live concerts (check out all the new songs from a live concert performed at the Louisville Palace on the "Troubled Souls Unite" blog). It is classic MMJ with a slightly "Creep" like opening vibe but which builds into a huge rocking beast and would have sat very happily on "Z". Finally the funky "Holdin on to Black Metal" starts with an exuberant chorus from the Black Metal Girls made up of female singers from their home town where at last a homage to Prince gets it about right. Equally its great to see a rock band able to play live and hold their own with funky singers such as Erykah Badu.

The slight problem is that nothing which follows is quite as good as the above, not that that "Circuital" is without its merits. For instance the concluding piano ballad "Movin Away" is a classy Jim James alt country heartbreaker which he has specialized in since the bands great "At dawn" album. "First light" is a nice rocker although let down by some terrible lyrics and "You wanna freak out" is a potential pop anthem. The self descriptive "Slow Slow tune" however barely gets out of the starting blocks while "The day is coming" becomes quite repetitive on repeated listens. Equally the sequencing of the album sometimes feels out of kilter with the lovely ballad "Wonderful (the way I feel)" sandwiched between two of the weakest songs on the album the previously mentioned "Day is coming" and rather silly sub Beach Boys of "Outta my system" on which the jury is still out.

The good news overall is that this album is much closer to "Z" than its "evil" predecessor and on the evidence of live performances takes on an additional dimension in an already blistering concert act where My Morning Jacket find their true expression. "Circuital" sees this band take a step back and reassess from a rather large misstep and in broad terms it's a much happier outcome. Get "Circuital" you will enjoy it.

My Morning Jacket left many fans baffled after the release of 'Evil Urges' in 2008, an album that can only be described as unclassifiable, for all the wrong reasons. 'Circuital' is the follow up, and thankfully; it erases the memory of their last effort, with My Morning Jacket's sound returning to their own version of normality.

The album opens up with 'Victory Dance' and 'Circuital', tracks that set the overall tone of the album: at times subtle and quiet, but then loud and truly spectacular. 'Wonderful (The Way I Feel)' represents the relaxed Kentucky country twang they sometimes incorporate into their music. 'Holdin' On To Black Metal' is the extrovert of the album: Jim James takes his voice to the level of pitch that even those in opera would be taken back by.

Whereas the album opens with two up-tempo songs, it closes with two slow songs: the aptly named 'Slow Slow Song' and 'Movin' Away'. The main thing that holds this album back however is that the eight songs that follow 'Victory Dance' and 'Circuital', while very impressive, rarely match the grandeur and and spectacle of the opening tracks.

However, 'Circuital' is still a great album that proves to everyone; nay-sayers and fans alike, that My Morning Jacket have not lost their edge, and they're truly back on track.

Being a bit of a MMJ fan I am still coming to terms with Evil Urges - still not sure if I like it,love it or hate it (conclusion "patchy"). But that is the effect My Morning Jacket tends to have on one. So this new album, I heard the track Circuital on the radio and went out and bought the album - expecting to hate it, thinking...past their best, shot their bolt, over the hill etc etc. First ten listens, whats this, its good - ah but that will wear off - the supercificial first listens are always easy. Next ten to twenty listens - hang on, I can't stop playing this - whats going on? Strange. Get up, what to play? answer always seems to be Circuital. Now - must be fifty listens in - admit it.... This Is A Great Album! - Sublime first 13 minutes of Victory Dance straight into Circuital - this is one of the best openings to an album I have heard in a long, long time ( and I go back to mid seventies in listening experience). From then on, just great song after great song, after great song. There really is not a duff track here. Coming to the conclusion this is my album of the year for 2011 so far. What else can I say - I am off to buy more of MMJ's back catalogue - Enjoy!