Salt Lake Review

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http://sltrib.com/lifestyle/ci_3176689

Review: Jacket delivers a searing, rock-solid set
 
By Dan Nailen
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune  
 
From the moment the Louisville quintet My Morning Jacket got on stage Tuesday, it was obvious the band is on a different level than on past visits to Zion.
   Enigmatic lead singer and songwriter Jim James wasn't hiding his face under a mop of long locks, and his body under an ill-fitting sport coat adorned with a stuffed parrot on one shoulder; he wore a short-sleeved button-down and a curly bob that still abetted plenty of dramatic hair tossing.
   More significantly, James didn't even pick up a guitar for the groove-filled opener of "Wordless Chorus," the first song on My Morning Jacket's new album, "Z," and a striking new sound for a band that always delivered epic guitar licks and James' ethereal, reverb-drenched vocals. "Wordless Chorus" relies on the pumping organ of new keyboardist Bo Koster, a delicate guitar line from new guitarist Carl Broemel and James' confident, expressive vocals. Tuesday, the band immediately locked into an excellent sound mix that would last the rest of the night.
   As the band does on "Z," they followed with a new song, "It Beats for You," which sounds more like traditional My Morning Jacket. James strummed an acoustic guitar while Broemel showed off with the first of many stinging solos.
   "One Big Holiday," from the band's 2003 "It Still Moves" album, provided the first truly epic rock cut of the night, but Koster managed to get his keyboard to cut through the guitar mayhem. "Off the Record" began with a definite reggae hook before turning into the kind of sprawling jam that makes these guys favorites at Bonneroo.
   Most of the 80-minute, 13-song show came from "Z," and while more older material would have been appreciated, there was little arguing with the quality of My Morning Jacket's performances of new songs like "Lay Low," the lengthy jam of "Dondante" or "Anytime."
   By the time My Morning Jacket closed with "Mahgeetah," James had hardly said a word, but the band had delivered a rock-solid, great-sounding set.
   ---
   Contact Dan Nailen at nailen@sltrib.com, via his blog "Urban Spelunker" at http://www.sltrib.com/blogs or 801-257-8613. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.
    
   My Morning Jacket
    
   WHERE: Club Sound
    
   WHEN: Tuesday
    
   THE BOTTOM LINE: The Louisville-based rockers mixed classic-rock riffs with adventurous tangents to great effect, but seemed disengaged from the crowd.