Upon hearing My Morning Jacket's newest album, Z, for the first time, I was immediately filled with dismay. Gone were the reverb-soaked vocals and southern rock flourishes that made 2003's It Still Moves both a critic's darling and a commercial success. On the contrary, the songs of Z rang with sleek production and a pop sensibility that seemed misplaced for these Kentucky rockers. Now, after spending a week with the album, my immediate dismay has turned into quiet satisfaction.
Expectation can be a killer, especially for a band showing as much promise as My Morning Jacket. Their aforementioned major label debut made such an impact that a similarly minded follow-up appeared to be in the cards. Following the success of the album, however, the departure of guitarist Johnny Quaid and keyboardist Danny Cash signaled a change in the band's sound -- one that immediately can be heard on Z.
Where keyboards were previously used for ornamental texture, they are now brought to the fore, giving them an active role in the band's sound. Four of the album's 10 tracks contain a solitary keyboard introduction, beginning with the opening, appropriately titled "Wordless Chorus."
From the Beach Boys-esque harmonies of the first song, incessant synthesized strings of "It Beats 4 U" and atmospheric guitar lines of "Gideon," Z never settles on a definable sound. Indie-rock standbys M. Ward and Andrew Bird offer minor guest appearances throughout the album, most notably lending their voices to the commanding male choir that wraps up the circus rag "Into The Woods."
Still, my Morning Jacket is very much a guitar-driven band. The late arriving "Lay Low" is a six-string romp through the band's back catalogue, distilling the best moments from their seven-year career into a six minute distortion pedal workout. The driving bass line of "Anytime" will leave you with your windows down and gas pedal to the floor. Even "What A Wonderful Man" wouldn't sound out of place alongside the power hour playlist of your favorite classic rock station.
Ultimately, however, the most satisfying aspect of Z is its consistent, high quality. A mere 47 minutes in length, the album is an anomaly in an age when most artists take advantage of every minute the luxury of a CD offers. Every one of Z's 10 cuts is a keeper and, barring any jokes I could have made about a song titled "Off The Record," it's hard to imagine trimming anything.
My Morning Jacket could have followed the bourbon-soaked Americana of It Still Moves with more of the same. While my expectations were high, the band's insistence on favoring a more pop-oriented sound has caught my ear. Z has all the allure of a room full of funhouse mirrors. The reflection of things familiar might appear unsettling at first but, with time, has a charm all its own.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
