My Morning Jacket – Z Review
Posted by Morgan Marx on 10.24.2005
One of rock’s best voices is back.
There are voices in the current world of popular music that have achieved a notoriety all their own. Morrissey’s stately croon has set him apart as a mopey, modern day Sinatra. Joanna Newsom’s child-like warble forces listeners to redefine what, exactly, is pleasant to the ear. And Mark Lanegan’s gravely rumble manages to conjure images of a timeless Americana. Each of these singers has a unique voice that changes the way we interpret their words. Morrissey’s lyrics are all the more heartbreaking because of his cracking, faltering cry.
However, there is another kind of voice that certain singers posses that transcends lyrics all together. Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin was this kind of a vocalist. It didn’t matter what he was saying so much as how he was singing it. His voice was like an instrument, as vital to the listener as Jimmy Page’s guitar. A few modern day singers have a similar talent. Sigur Ros vocalist Jonsi Birgisson’s ethereal call is so astounding, the band’s lyrics are totally irrelevant. Most of their albums have been sung in an invented language combining the band’s native tongue Icelandic, English, and fairy. The Mars Volta is a similar group, with Cedric Bixler-Zavala wailing gibberish in both English and Spanish.
And then there is My Morning Jacket. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, the band is often laden with the Southern rock label. With band members featuring copious amounts of hair, a predilection for extended jamming, and a fondness for whiskey, the label certainly isn’t baseless. The heart of MMJ lies with songwriter/guitarist Jim James and his voice. James’ sings with utter clarity, no matter the pitch he attains. His voice soars above the musical output of the group into a stratosphere beyond falsetto. The frequent “oohs” and “ahhs” are often the focal point of MMJ songs. In fact, the first song on MMJ’s latest album is appropriately titled “Wordless Chorus.” And yet, Z, the groups fourth LP, contradicts both the Skynyrd comparisons and the conjecture that the lyrics don’t matter. Will a new direction suit the band?
Z opens with the steady thrum of a keyboard. This new, slightly electronic sound courses throughout the album. A spate of lineup changes found the band welcoming keyboardist Bo Koster, and his addition dramatically shifts the musical makeup of the group. Keyboards duel with bass lines, while drums share time with drum machines. Instead of sounding sterile, the band retains its heart and earthiness. Koster’s boards sound as warm as James’ voice. The aforementioned “Chorus” builds off a lurching drum roll and culminates with a minute of James’ howling. His voice is stronger on Z than on even the seminal It Still Moves.
“It Beats 4 U” follows a similar pattern, with the steadiness of the keyboards contrasting with the stop/start drums of Patrick Hallahan. Bassist Two-Tone Tommy and guitarist Carl Broemel are freed to do a little exploring with bouncing dance beats and slight melodies, respectively. “Gideon” ends with an organ reminiscent of The Who, while “What A Wonderful Man” begins with the plink of a piano. “Wonderful” kicks off a selection of songs that showcase James’ maturation as a songwriter. His lyrics manage to convey several emotions at once. Love and loss tint most of his songs, but a track like “Wonderful” can be seen as either optimistic or dark at the same time.
“Off The Record” opens with a Hawaii 5-0 guitar riff before settling into a surf-rock groove. The first single off of Z, it’s both catchy (with a repeated call and response chorus of “Keep it off the record/off the record,”) and true to the MMJ catalogue (with an extended breakdown at the end that devolves into guitar noodleing and quite possibly a subliminal message).
“Into The Woods” might be the album’s centerpiece, with some of the best lyrics James has written. It’s carousel beat is accompanied by the acoustic guitar magic of the immortal M. Ward (who has toured with James and Conor Oberst). In a lovely, singsong voice James’ offers, “A kitten on fire/A baby in a blender/Both sound as sweet as a night of surrender.” That bon-mot is later followed with “A good showerhead/And my right hand/The two best lovers that I ever had/Now if you find you agree with what I just said/You better find a new love/And let them into your head." Instead of resting on the laurels of his amazing voice, James’ manages to craft wonderful, humorous lyrics as well. Just great stuff, all in all.
Z is a strong album, without a throwaway track to be found. Top to bottom, the songs are concise and all heart. James’ has said that he wanted this album to be less sprawling, and some fans might miss the more drawn out bits from Moves. Each song serves a function on the album. “Dondante,” a woeful, haunting track that crawls past the 8-minute mark acts as an elegy for the album. The band finally cuts loose, allowing all of the expansive guitar work and vocal theatrics, held in for 9 songs, to spill out. The song drifts into nothingness, but not with a whimper. The silence is as powerful as James’ most guttural moans.
The 411: A remarkable album by an outstanding band. My Morning Jacket has overcome the boundaries of genre and expectation. James is at his all around best on Z. The group has made a bold to choice to expand upon their unique sound, and it will be interesting to see how fans receive this new MMJ.
