2008.10.02
CD review club: We tackle My Morning Jacket's "Evil Urges"
Here's our first go-round with this album of the month club thing. We're not reviewing local stuff, but national stuff, and only one a month. The four of us will take turns picking the CD, but if you want to suggest one, we might do it.
The four of us are: onetime record store manager Brooks Tuck; musician Matthew Browning (solo, the Royal Greens); Roanoke Times editorial assistant Heather Froeschl; and me, Tad. We'll add some more biographical info later.
We're starting with My Morning Jacket's "Evil Urges."
You all are welcome to comment.
Heather:
Okay, to be honest I’d never heard of these guys before, but I’m trying to be more open in my ear candy and more willing to give things a try. Quite possibly, this is my quest in current life. Whatever my inner reasons, Tad gave me the title and told me to get it. So I did. After several run-throughs in the car, I feel qualified to give my opinion.
Like the progression of my thoughts, each track transcends a different feel. I enjoy this variety, rather than getting stuck in a disk where very song sounds the same. The subtle variety of sounds offers a reminiscent moment of the past, reminding me briefly of Buddy Holly, Prince and even Bread among others. I told you it was a variety! Is this bad? To bring to mind a plethora of artists? They aren’t imitating, but demonstrating their own talent in their range of style. That’s a good thing. At least I think so.
Evil Urges! is worth the ticket price for the CD. Will I invest in other titles by this band? Maybe so, maybe so.
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Brooks:
Jim James is a bundle of influences. As such, his band My Morning Jacket's sound tends to morph from song to song. While this is not a new trait, with Evil Urges the shifts seem not only jarring but random in nature.
The title tune is a nifty pop concoction that puts James' Prince fixation on display. James' love of Prince also rears it's head on the utterly silly "Highly Suspicious". After this it gets murky. There are, from song to song, comparisons to be drawn to Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison, and on "Smokin' From Shootin'", his phrasing seems lifted directly from Brian Ferry's delivery of Roxy Music's "Dance Away".
Listening to Evil Urges reminds me of driving to the swimming pool on Saturdays as a child with good old 1970's era WROV-AM blaring on the car radio. The issue is that the listener comes away with a musical Pollock-like pastiche instead of a cohesive listening experience.
Interestingly, my big cheesy pop hook grin appears as James' homage to all things E-Street, "Aluminum Park" begins. Here is a big dumb rock song with a easy hook that sticks in your head for days. Well, so does "I'm Amazed", but that was somewhat less pleasant in a Phish-y "Sample In a Jar" kind of way.
As I'm nodding my head, driving down to the road, grinning like an idiot, I am nearly convinced that my first impressions were wrong. But, as the tune fades, so does the glow. I simply don't like anything else on the record as much as I like "Aluminum Park". In today's world of overpriced new releases, it is simply not cost effective to purchase records with limited replay value.
Jim James is a supremely talented musician and singer, but the guy needs an editor.
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Matt:
Evil Urges is strange in the finest of ways. This album sounds to me like a chance meeting of Prince, Kings of Leon, and Radiohead in a back room in Memphis in 1976. I wasn't alive in 1976, and neither were the Kings of Leon, so I believe it's safe to call that last statement speculation.
It is my opinion that Jim James is doing the right things in precisely the right direction with this album, even if this album varies from their conventional sound and if the direction can't exactly be established. It is filled with catchy, progressive sounds that test to see if your soul showed up to work today. I dare you to listen to the entire album and not tap your foot or even giggle a little with Mr. James as he sings "peanut butter pudding surprise."
The album is a worthwhile purchase in my book.
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Tad:
I started out not liking this record too much. After several spins, I can say only that I like it a little bit more. But good lord, can these guys play their instruments and manipulate a studio. There is a fair amount of beauty here, and too much self-indulgence.
I'm really not sure that in his heart of hearts, Jim James cares whether this is a commercial success. In fact, I'm going to guess that this is a mid-career transition album, where he spits out his influences and gets ready to cleanse the old palate for some new stuff that doesn't have influences A, B, C, D, ect., all over it. If that's true, and he's not afraid to fail, then this record is a success, and I'm looking forward to the next record. If it's not true, then I dread what's coming next. Not that I could know his mind either way.
By the way, the song "Highly Suspicious" sounds like a combination of "Mr. Roboto" era Styx, Cameo's "Word Up" and any song in which Prince sings falsetto. To be fair, this is the most extreme example on the record of influence regurgitation. And I actually kind of like it the more I hear it. If it becomes an ear worm, I might lose it!
(Quick addendum: If James claims not to be influenced by Bobby Bare Jr., he's a liar!)
Note: James shaved off his beard, leaving only a mustache, upon this album's release. Read the silliness here.
A final note: Matt went off to get married, and he wrote me that this record's track No. 4, "I'm Amazed," made it onto the reception playlist. Congrats, Matt! Glad I could turn you on to it. I actually like that song OK, too.
