My Circuital Review

[soundgarden1981]

 :) :) :) dont understand the negativity surrounding this album.its brilliant and original ,mmj keep evolving and changing thats why i love them so much,i dont wanna hear ism or dawn number 2,this is  a damn fine album that does what i wanted,makes me go ' what the hell'!!!ps i love evil urges a LOT.again diff sounds. how good the songs on circuital will sound live excites the hell outta me. first light will rock hard!!!i think mmj are always better live anyhoo.anyways love the album :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[Jahmazed]

The last notes are just winding down on my first listen.  I came here and lowered my expectations reading all these reviews first but.. IMHO: This is more great music from MMJ   

Personally I am so happy to have new MMJ and can't wait to see how these new songs sound live and add to the setlists.

I'm not sure why would anyone would expect the band who put out EU to put out a "back to their roots" album.  It kind of makes sense they would push the envelope again as part of their musical progression.  I love the new songs but it actually seems to me a bit less of a jump in style than Z>EU was. 

second lap thoughts:
Victory dance  probably the new opener, or closer?
Circuital is sick, classic mmj
The day is coming: cool omnichord track but doesn't quite gel for me
Wonderful: not sure why people don't like the studio, it's wonderful  :)
Outta my system: two halves of the album, but way better
Black Metal shows really shows off their range and talent and jim's inner black man
First Light: luv the fuzz, jam at the end will be so nasty live
You wanna freak out: ?? incomplete I hope its 11 minutes long!
Slow slow song: mandatory ballad aptly named like the way it builds
Moving away: jim's crooning is beautiful  but I wish there was a song after this!

[jo_mama]

Moving Away just smacked me straight in the face at work! WOW.

[Tennessee Jed]

Gotta say, I was one of the early haters, but this baby has grown like kudzu on me...ba da ba ba ba, I'm loving it!

[kotchishm]

First Review of Circuital from Stereogum 


http://stereogum.com/700671/my-morning-jacket-circuital-premature-evaluation/franchises/premature-evaluation/

[Ghosts_on_TV]

I think a lot of the early haters are going to come around in a big way. This album rules.

[RedPatokaSea]

I thought it was a pretty fair review.

I think it's a very good album overall, but most of us have come to expect greatness from MMJ. Circuital isn't an album that I'll listen to endlessly like ISM or Z, but it's certainly a nice gift for the start of summer. I agree that it's a "more consistent and enjoyable" sound when compared with EU. There are some solid additions that leave plenty of room for growth and have the potential to be really amazing when performed live. IMHO, it's a step in the right direction, but the spark and inspiration that resulted in the band's best work feels just a tad muted.

Rereading my post, I think my review sounds more lukewarm than I intended. I think the majority Jacket fans will be very pleased.

[Honest Man]

I think a lot of the early haters are going to come around in a big way. This album rules.

Ditto.

[Robbman]

The last notes are just winding down on my first listen.  I came here and lowered my expectations reading all these reviews first but.. IMHO: This is more great music from MMJ   

Personally I am so happy to have new MMJ and can't wait to see how these new songs sound live and add to the setlists.

I'm not sure why would anyone would expect the band who put out EU to put out a "back to their roots" album.  It kind of makes sense they would push the envelope again as part of their musical progression.  I love the new songs but it actually seems to me a bit less of a jump in style than Z>EU was. 

second lap thoughts:
Victory dance  probably the new opener, or closer?
Circuital is sick, classic mmj
The day is coming: cool omnichord track but doesn't quite gel for me
Wonderful: not sure why people don't like the studio, it's wonderful  :)
Outta my system: two halves of the album, but way better
Black Metal shows really shows off their range and talent and jim's inner black man
First Light: luv the fuzz, jam at the end will be so nasty live
You wanna freak out: ?? incomplete I hope its 11 minutes long!
Slow slow song: mandatory ballad aptly named like the way it builds
Moving away: jim's crooning is beautiful  but I wish there was a song after this!

You know, I think reading that thought at the end of your post really spells out what I'm not so happy about with Circuital... it feels incomplete right now. Not because its only 10 songs.. hell the 10 songs are mostly long.... it just feels like there ought to be more.. that the collection is too homogenous or there should be at least another 'rise' in the album. I have never wanted a band to repeat themselves, but this record just feels like its missing something right now.

I stress that I need more listens to really figure out how I really feel.. and while I feel underwhelmed, this album hasn't left my player.. and that's a good sign that its going to grow on me...  that feeling makes me happy.

Again, the first two songs are absolutely gorgeous, and I can't get enough of them.

[e_wind]

Z is the same length about and the same number of songs.

[mlbrady89]

Anybody get a Prince- Beautiful Ones, vibe off of The Day Is Coming

[Robbman]

Z is the same length about and the same number of songs.

I'm assuming that was meant for my post... so to clarify, I think I pretty much said it's not short, it just feels like it needs more to me, that's all.

[CountSA]

Moving Away just smacked me straight in the face at work! WOW.

"I hope your heart beats where my home is"

Such a great song.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

My mind is numb from reading these reviews, at least the one's that are like "I thought it would be like It Still Moves and it isn't".  Production wise it is very similar.  Very similar.  indisputably similar.  They even left the hiss from the ground in.  The Horns.  The Vocal sound.  All most definitely pay tribute to that era but it's been almost a decade, technology is better. 

Second, this is the first album Bo truly shines on.  Victory Dance, Circuital, some of Bo's best work to date. 

The Guitars sound beefy as shit.  they've got that classic tone we're use to from MMJ, reverby with distortion and feedback.  Coated with Jim's vocals.  The yelling at the end of Victory Dance sounds like early my morning jacket, period.

I've heard a lot of you saying this album is nothing you expected or that it's divisive.  That's a good thing.  That's how a band creates longevity. 

To me the shows for Evil Urges were straight up "Here is Evil Urges, we'll play some other tunes and try and make them fit in the set".  with Circuital the songs can fit anywhere in the set.  People aren't even sure if Victory Dance is going to be the opener because it literally could go anywhere in the set like most of the others.  I doubt they'll close with Slow Slow Tune->Moving Away every show of the tour. 

Segue possibilities are ridiculous. 

Something tells me "You Wanna Freak Out", will have a couple more minutes of freaking out when we get to hear it. 

It seems to me the most obvious change in sound coming from the last 3 albums is Carl and the Pedal Steel.  It's slowly becoming a trademark of MMJ's sound rather than the guitar leads and such.   There was slide work done on some of the early Jacket albums but nothing even slightly comparative to what Carl does now.  This I could see a plus or minus for people.  I like guitars and guitar solos more than pedal steel but what can ya do, they're from the south.

If people were looking for straight up progressive rock songs with tons of lyrics from these guys with this album you really haven't paid attention to the last few albums. 

I'm most thankful there isn't an evil urges/wordless chorus falsetto type tune on this album. 

All things considered the fuckers made a legit rock pop album that is beyond what most bands even attempt to put out.  Not many ridiculous studio tricks or layering.  Just pure My Morning Jacket.   

These songs have so much potential live it's sickening.  First Light is one of the weaker songs (still good) but it's the song that reminds me MOST of it still moves.  the ending is like Easy Morning Rebel.   

I could go on and on about how wrong a lot of you are but I'll avoid anymore negativity.  It's kinda funny people are saying it's missing something and there's still basically an entire song left to be released.  some people will never be happy. 

Mix these songs in with the older stuff.  It works.

[1eyed_jack]

So I figured I'd do a song by song review!

Victory Dance- At first I was a little iffy on horns/vocal stuff in the beginning, but it's since grown on me. If I could use one word to describe this song it would be restrained. The tension starts building in this song with the first note and is relentless, the whole song you're just waiting for it to explode, which it kind of does at the end, but I think the greatness is in the tension that is built. Can't wait to see this one live!

Circuital- We all know this well by now, but it is very good. Kind of reminds me of Peter Gabriel a tiny bit, at least during the instrumental parts in the middle. I'm very glad this song is connected to Victory Dance on the album because because they fit very well together. This sounds different from a lot of MMJ's early stuff, but it seems a very natural progression for them to take.

The Day is Coming- Another one where I was a bit skeptical with the vocal stuff in the beginning but it also grew on me. This sounds the most like an Evil Urges tune, but it doesn't quite hit the level of cheekiness that some of those songs had, which is a good thing. I love the melody of this song, The strings that come in on the second verse sound fantastic.

Wonderful- An instant favorite of mine when I heard it live. It's a nice little ballad along the lines of Hopefully, Bermuda Highway and Librarian, Always nice to hear some Jim James acoustic slower songs. The pedal steel that comes in halfway through the song is fantastic as well.

Outta My System- Sounds like Beach Boys at first, which took me by surprise, but not in a bad way. I like how as the song builds you think it might get real loud, but again it is restrained which was nice. I don't mind rockers one bit, but the band is so talented it's nice to hear the subtleties in the music sometimes!

Holdin' On To Black Metal- I know a lot of people love this, but it hasn't hit me yet I guess. I don't care for the falsetto throughout the whole song. The music is great, I like the guitar line running throughout and the horns. The little break near the end is pretty rocking also, but I just don't care for that style of singing in combination with the music.

First Light- I like this song, but this one didn't grow on me quite as much as the others. Sounds a bit in the same style as Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation". It just doesn't seem to go anywhere. Again, it's not bad, it's just not one of my favorites.

You Wanna Freak Out- Obviously cut short, but I liked what I heard. The guitar part sounded nothing like what I expected from My Morning Jacket, it sounded like some sort of 90's alternative rock song from someone like the Goo-Goo Dolls, but as soon as the melody kicks in, it feels right at home. Reminds me a tad of "Into the Woods" but a bit fuller sounding.

Slow Slow Tune- My first thought was "Crimson and Clover" with the music, except.....wait for it........slower! HA! It took me awhile to get used to the vocal delivery on this one, but I like it now. The thing that keeps me coming back is the instrumental break. I love when everything fades out and then it just comes back full force. Such an emotional instrumental part for me, it's very soothing to listen to. Sounded like it might as well have been released in the 60's/70's.

Movin' Away- Possibly my favorite song on the album. It's slow, yeah, but it is absolutely beautiful. Reminds me of "If It Smashes Down" a bit, for the raw emotion, fueled by one of James' best vocal deliveries. Absolutely loved it on first listen and it gets better every time.

[Brother Beck]

I was trying so hard to hold out and just wait for the release date...  but I finally caved last night after work when I got home and couldn't sleep and I knew it was out there and other people were already listening to it.  Apparently my willpower is nothing against the lure of new MMJ.

I f---ing love it!  So ridiculously good.  I honestly cannot wait until this comes out and I can listen to it properly.  The songs really, really work together as a cohesive whole in a way that I never felt Evil Urges did, and for the most part the songs are all really great.  I definitely see what the guys were saying about the production harkening back to the ole days of barn & grain silo recording, and I prefer the production of these songs over the production of the Evil Urges stuff.  I don't mean to keep comparing this to EU, I know it's a different beast - it's just EU was the last thing they did and this is the next step so my mind just kinda goes there.

My one minor disappointment on very early listening is that Movin' Away is probably my least favorite of the tracks, and it's the closer, and it's a slower song, and it comes on the heels of another slower song.  It left me wanting when the album ended, and not in the way where I needed to start the whole thing right over again, but more with the feeling of "oh, that's it."  It's not a bad song, I just found it to be the least compelling, and they have a history of such epic album closers like Dondante.  I read other people listing it as one of their favorites so maybe it will grow on me over time.  It's how they wanted to wrap the album up and they apparently featured it on Storytellers and I trust the guys.

I don't want to sound negative here.  There is new My Morning Jacket entering the world and it is awesome and it makes me very happy.  I remember when they had kinda gone on hiatus a while back and I was so bummed thinking they might be done.  I discovered them in a write up in The Boston Globe in 2006 when they played with The Boston Pops and fell in love with their entire catalogue then, and they have remained my favorite band since.  It's celebration time.       

[1978SGJ]

I think a lot of the early haters are going to come around in a big way. This album rules.

Ditto.

some of these songs will absolutely melt face live.

Victory Dance - this is my favorite overall song MMJ has ever written. i can totally see them opening or closing w/ it. kinda reminds me of tool (and in the air tonight by phil collins), how the heaviness builds and builds.. to a crushing finale. gives me goosebumps 78% of the time, every time.

Circuital - this track has been talked about enough, and rightfully so. one thing i can say is, i like the way the they recorded it; good overall soundscape.

The Day is Coming - a solid tune overall. a nice example of how Jim's voice should be recorded "in my opinion".. i've often said how his voice and the way he bends and twists it reminds me of a saxophone.

Wonderful (the way i feel) - best overall song on the album. and don't trip on how they pop'd it up at the end. it doesn't differ much from how they played it at Terminal 5; the drums just weren't as prominent in the mix.

Outta My System - once i figured out the lyrics, this track quickly became one of my favs. in the past, i used to film just random songs (based on how many of them already existed on youtube), but now i realize i have to go the extra mile and bring 2 mem cards and batteries.. from now on expect full show recordings front to back. can't wait to capture this tune.

Holdin' on to Black Metal - i can't even wrap my head around this tune yet.. though i keep coming back to it, hearing different things each time. can't wait to shoot this w/ the horns at Hunter Jam. my only hope is that a lot of forum members are cool enough to let me join them in the front. you've seen my vids before.. you know i don't mess around.

First Light - this tune speaks for itself. a solid rocker.. and once again, the vocals on this track are superb. the lyrics aren't half bad either.

You Wanna Freak Out - another solid tune and recording. what's everyone's deal w/ this album..? i have yet to find a truly weak song.

Slow, Slow Tune - my friend Honest Man said it best, "this will be their new Dondante." i can see them stretching this one out w/ epic solos.

Movin' Away - my god, Jim's voice is amazing on this track. really laid back and chill.. i like it.

[EasyRyder]

All things considered the fuckers made a legit rock pop album that is beyond what most bands even attempt to put out.  Not many ridiculous studio tricks or layering.  Just pure My Morning Jacket.   

Mix these songs in with the older stuff.  It works.

That's what most struck me upon first listens, but I couldn't pin point what "it" was for the longest time...there's virtually no unnecessary studio special effects. It's so rare to hear a raw and honest album like this nowadays that the strangeness in Circuital is just the sheer naturalness of it.

That's what makes it milky for me....

P.S. The faint bird calls in the background of "Wonderful" re-invoke subtler feelings of the crickets in "Bermuda Highway"...mmm

[Ooga]

I love the faint sound of cars driving by in the rain at the end of Movin Away.  Everytime I listen to this album I notice something different.

[1978SGJ]

All things considered the fuckers made a legit rock pop album that is beyond what most bands even attempt to put out.  Not many ridiculous studio tricks or layering.  Just pure My Morning Jacket.   

Mix these songs in with the older stuff.  It works.

That's what most struck me upon first listens, but I couldn't pin point what "it" was for the longest time...there's virtually no unnecessary studio special effects. It's so rare to hear a raw and honest album like this nowadays that the strangeness in Circuital is just the sheer naturalness of it.

That's what makes it milky for me....

P.S. The faint bird calls in the background of "Wonderful" re-invoke subtler feelings of the crickets in "Bermuda Highway"...mmm

maybe that's what the album concept/title is about.. "coming full circle". like w/ every album they drifted further and further out into space, exploring the unkowns of music. and now they're back to reveal all they've learned in their travels. some of it stuck, and some of it got dusted off. i think they relied less on outside musicians and tried to play more as a unit, like they do on the road.