Jam!/Winnipeg Sun

[LaurieBlue]

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2005/10/20/1272585-sun.html

My Morning Jacket a good fit

MMJ's latest a stellar effort

By DARRYL STERDAN -- Winnipeg Sun

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My Morning Jacket
Z
(ATO/Sony BMG)
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"All of this can change," whines Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Truth is, it already has. On this fourth CD, Kentucky singer-songwriter James and MMJ have two new members -- and a newly expanded sound to go with them.

The 10-track Z moves beyond the southern guitar-rock majesty of its predecessors and sets its sights on eclectic new horizons.

From the psychedelic wooshes and angel-choir vocals of Wordless Chorus and the heavy-handed reggae-rock of Off the Record to the skittery paranoia of It Beats 4 U, the pumping glam of What a Wonderful Man and the swooning country of Knot Comes Loose, Z is MMJ's freakiest and most ambitious outing. It may also be their most satisfying.

Although the discs clocks in at a lean 47 minutes, these tracks are so densely packed they seem like grand epics. Between the hypnotic rhythms, chiming guitar arpeggios, swirling keyboards, effects and trippy production -- with James' creaky, reverb-soaked moan and enigmatic lyrics soaring above it all -- Z delivers more craftsmanship and beauty than some bands generate in their entire career.

Old fans may be bummed that only a handful of cuts like Anytime and Lay Low feature the searing guitar riffs and interwoven solo flights of days gone by.  
  

But to us, Z seems like the start of a brighter day for My Morning Jacket.

Track Listing:

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