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Review
With a title like Evil Urges and the somewhat macabre cover image of an eye in a box, the uninitiated would be forgiven for thinking that Kentucky's My Morning Jacket have morphed into a mediocre metal band. Judge not a book by its cover, nor an album by its artwork. After the psychedelic rock offerings of 2003's It Still Moves and 2001's At Dawn, the band's fifth release has stepped away from the reverb-heavy noisemaking which originally garnered them widespread critical acclaim. The sound has since been adopted by a whole slew of imitators, including Band Of Horses and Fleet Foxes, but My Morning Jacket are now concentrating on using a more eclectic range of instrumentation. However fans should fear not; the signature duelling guitars are most definitely back.
With elements of country, rock, prog, pop, and indeed a good mix of other genres, the album is unrelenting in its diversity of sounds. Slow burner Evil Urges sports Kid A style guitar lines, sparse and wide and peppered with electronic whirrs, while Highly Suspicious has pure pop sensibilities; sounding more than a little like Prince, with singer Jim James descending into falsetto territory. In terms of variety, this album is about as widely based as they come.
Complimenting this, the band tip their hats to their roots and with I'm Amazed, which is complete country rock, so much so in fact, it could almost be the work of an artist like Garth Brooks.
Evil Urges is a curious package. You are treated to a veritable feast of different musical styles and genres, but often feel a little perplexed by the fare on offer. The sheer amount of choice is befuddling, but somehow, in a strange way, it all works. And it works well. --Kate Sharp
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a brave album and probably the least cohesive I own. I love maybe 7 of the tracks and dislike maybe 6. I like things eclectic, but the diversity of styles on show in Evil Urges is OTT, so much so that it feels like a compilation of songs by maybe five or six different bands of varying genres.
When it's good, it's very good, but when it's bad, it isn't exactly very bad, it's just below par.
When it's good, it's very good, but when it's bad, it isn't exactly very bad, it's just below par.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This star rating thing is funny old business, as I write Evil Urges has an overall rating of 3.5 stars, on the strength of some very negative reviews from MMJ fans comparing Evil Urges unfavorably with their previous output. I agree the album isn't as good as either Z or It Still Moves but in the grand scheme of things it ain't no two star album, nor is it naive or unintelligent. The title track, think Curtis Mayfield via Lambchop with a bit of Prog-Rock thrown-in for good measure, is worth the price of the admission alone.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
As a huge fan of My Morning Jacket, I was eagerly anticipating Evil Urges, having listened relentlessly to It Still Moves and Z and purchased all the earlier albums too. The reverb drenched vocals, existential lyrics, beautiful melodies balanced superbly with some heavy guitar work, have drawn comparisons with Neil Young, but despite the grand nature of their sound, a playful exuberance is never too far around the corner and its that ability not to take themselves too seriously, which has made them so listenable. I can pretty much put them on at any time of day in any mood and their music fits. That fine balance of intensity and playfulness has been tipped very firmly in the playfulness direction and that harmony they've achieved in the past, is not to be found in this latest effort from them, Evil Urges. I get the feeling that with success and perhaps a lot of sex, Jim James has decided to just have some light hearted fun, making an album that could even be a homage to Prince in its attempt at sexiness. It sounds like it was made in the space of an evening (a friday night on the piss most probably), rather than the manifestation of years of profound introspective thought. The track Highly Suspicious made me want to adopt the brace position. I hope, like the morning after a night out, they will wake up smiling, but suitably ashamed and ready to start being serious again. I hope it sells though and wish them nothing but the best. I'm seeing them live next week and I just pray they play some of the old stuff!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Their best work
I consider this album to be their finest work. I cannot fathom how people are rating this album under 4 stars.
Bold, experimental and out there! Read more
Bold, experimental and out there! Read more
Published 11 months ago by Dean
If You Don't Love It I'd Be Highly Suspicious
Just so you know, My Morning Jacket's fifth studio album "Evil Urges" is perhaps one of my favourite records of all time. Well, definitely top 20, possibly even top 10. Read more
Published on 15 July 2009 by Benjamin Tansey
joyful urges
The album is patchy in terms of coherent content, but if you're a fan of the genres covered then you'll probably love the end product. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2009 by Dougal
A monster of an album...
Don't be put off by the negative reviews of this album. I'm sure if you are a fan of the 'It Still Moves' sound, this Lp would have been something of a shock. Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2008 by Big Twink
thumbs up this end!
My morning Jacket never fail me. I wasn't impressed with Evil Urges on the first couple of listens, I suppose it wasn't what I was expecting if I'm honest but with each listen it... Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2008 by Ben Grimm76
I keep going back again and again
I don't understand the number of critical reviews of this album. I think there are some truly wonderful songs on here, and for me, it's the one album I've returned to again and... Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2008 by K. Wright
Unintelligent experimentation
How was THIS the album that turned My Morning Jacket into a band that could play Radio City Music Hall, Red Rocks, and Madison Square Garden?! Read more
Published on 23 July 2008 by MRSCRY
BOLD, BAFFLING, and BRILLIANT.
Other My Morning Jacket albums have hinted at the bands eclectic approach to their music and influences, but none of their studio albums have ventured this far into new... Read more
Published on 20 Jun 2008 by Paul M
A stumble, but nothing worse.
So this is what Jim James calls "getting away from normal rock n' roll sounds" in order to give the listener a more vivid indication of the My Morning Jacket live experience. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2008 by Mr. J. Milton
Weevil Urges
This album weaves like a Weevil, it's the Wevie Stonder of weaving, weaving it's way through soul, r&b, gargled electronics, pysche rock, folk, country and some heavier stuff... Read more
Published on 8 May 2008 by Mr. Rj Mccann
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