My Morning Jacket

After they finished recording 2015s The Waterfall, My Morning Jacket appeared to fade from view, playing only a handful of shows as singer/guitarist Jim James and lead guitarist Carl Broemel released solo material and the other members of the group worked on other projects. When they finally did release an album in 2020, The Waterfall II, it was compiled from outtakes from the Waterfall sessions, which would lead any fan to wonder if MMJ had any sort of future. As it happens, they did -- a four-show run in 2019 prompted them to return to the studio to work on new material, and 2021s My Morning Jacket finds the band back in fighting shape and embracing their eclectic psychedelic roots rock vision with passion and clarity. The Waterfall albums captured them sounding overcooked and poorly focused, seeming less adventurous and more the work of a band that just couldnt make up their mind, which made MMJs radio silence all the more alarming. My Morning Jacket takes plenty of stylistic twists and turns over the course of 60 minutes, but it sounds much more organic and of a piece, and this band is sounding more like a band here, five musicians who are on the journey together, no matter how many detours they choose to take. As always, Jim James fusion of Dylanesque mumble and soul mans wailing is something of an acquired taste, but as with their best work, it works well in context and goes a long way towards establishing and maintaining a mood, and guitarist Broemel, bassist Tom Blankenship, keyboardist Bo Koster, and drummer Patrick Hallahan lock in with confidence alongside him. Whether theyre digging into the hard rock strut of Complex, enjoying the blissed-out drift of In Color, nailing the soulful groove of Never in the Real World, exploring the slow, jazzy contemplation of The Devils in the Details, navigating the wild mood swings of Lucky to Be Alive, or taking in the pleasures of the glossy dance pulse of Love Love Love, this is a band thats fully engaged and sounds more comfortable than they have in the studio for a while. And while the performances and production are tight and well structured, they havent forgotten what makes them a great live band on My Morning Jacket -- the music has a natural sense of following its own path, and theyre not afraid of a good rave-up where the guitars are free to wail. (Its doubtless no coincidence that James engineered and produced the session, without an outside influence to get in the way of their progress.) My Morning Jacket is MMJs most satisfying work since 2008s Evil Urges, and a splendid example of what can happen when their group mind is in sync. ~ Mark Deming

前作『The Waterfall II』(2020年)は前々作『The Waterfall』(2015年)と同時期の録音だったから、純粋な新録のアルバムとしては6年ぶり。解散の危機を乗り越え、戻ってきたケンタッキー州ルイヴィルの5人組がここで鳴らすのは、ソウルとカントリーのエッセンスをサイケなロック・サウンドに落とし込みながら、ジャズ、バブルガム・ポップ、ハード・ロックという変化球も織り交ぜた全11曲だ。この連中、やはり一筋縄では行かない。
bounce (C)山口智男