Seattle P-I

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/247012_club04.html

The Club Scene: My Morning Jacket reshapes its vibes with song-oriented 'Z'

By TIZZY ASHER
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Two years, a lineup change and oodles of newspaper and magazine articles later, the Louisville, Ky.-based quintet My Morning Jacket has managed to transcend its status as current buzz band of the month and release a cohesive, solid record.

The band's fourth record, "Z" (RKO) offers a more substantive, song-oriented sound for the notoriously dreamy band. The record is much more than anything in its back catalog. Vocalist and songwriter Jim James says they were hoping to borrow from hip-hop and soul, both of which he claims "unify people." Most of the songs on "Z" hover around the four-minute mark, which will disappoint those who enjoyed the band's extended jams.

James tends to drift more often into falsetto, echoing the guitar lines that run beneath in rolling waves. His pronunciation is less skewed, and words and images often emerge with clarity.

"Z" succeeds despite changes. "Into the Woods" leads off with the horrifying image, "A kitten on fire/ A baby in a blender" but evolves into creepy circus music that feels like a demonic merry-go-round.

"Anytime" rides on a crest of barroom, Billy Joel piano (the instrument is prominent on several tracks). "Wordless Chorus" pulls in a 1980s funk and soul influence -- which works until James breaks into a high-pitched Michael Jackson scream.

My Morning Jacket plays The Showbox tonight (8; $18 at TicketsWest, $20 at the door). Opening is the spoken word artist Saul Williams.