1. Wordless Chorus
2. It Beats For You
3. Gideon
4. What A Wonderful Man
5. Off The Record
6. Into The Woods
7. Anytime
8. Lay Low
9. Knot Comes Loose
10. Dondante
Total time: 46.9 minutes
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Z
My Morning Jacket
ATO
For their fourth album and the first with a new lead guitarist and keyboardist, My Morning Jacket hits the ground running.
The Kentucky band modifies its sound in favor of more of a pop direction, without going mainstream. The songs are tighter, with less meandering guitars, a little more keyboard and lots more rhythm. And fans can take heart in the fact that the reverb on Jim James’ vocals hasn’t been turned all the way down.
Innovations abound. The title says it all for “Wordless Chorus,” a tune so airy it’s ethereal. “It Beats for You” features a nice bit of whistling (rhythm, not lead) toward the end. “Off the Record” is right out of the English Beat/General Public playbook but with harder guitars, then morphs into a ’70s electric-piano-oriented jazz-rock jam reminiscent of later-period Traffic or the Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.” The bizarre lyrics of “Into the Woods,” enhanced by an oompah-band beat and carousel organ, conjure up freak-show images. “Lay Low” flirts with Southern rock before losing all inhibition and reaching a tasteful double-lead-guitar climax. And the mild-mannered “Knot Comes Loose” floats away on the strains of a pedal steel guitar.
Bottom line: “Z” is all over the place and, in doing so, hits the spot.
external links
artist’s link
amazon.com
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