My Morning Jacket...not just for formal breakfast dining

I can remember pulling out of my neighborhood and hearing the pedal steel sounds of "Golden" from It Still Moves floating out of my car speakers. At first I thought this was some cool 70s song I had somehow never heard before. Then this voice emerged like it was coming from the bottom of an empty grain silo. I wanted to hear the rest of the song but really I wanted it to end so I could hear who this band was. This was 2003 so the land before time didn't have iPhones and shazaam apps to identify music. I had to wait for the dj. "We just wrapped up the last set of music with "Golden" by My Morning Jacket  off their new album It Still Moves. I think I said out loud..."My Morning Jacket ...what the %#$^  does that mean"? Pulling up the album online didn't help either. I was greeted by this large grizzly bear with gold tinsel draped on it and that was all that was on the front cover.  No sign of the band...so the mystery  intrigued me.  I have been under their spell ever since.

Their new album Circuital will be released on Tuesday May 31st so in few days leading up until Tuesday I want to give a brief review of one of their last three albums.



I finally figured out where songs on It Still Moves like "Golden" and "Mahgeetah" were triggering in my music DNA.  In my own mind I was hearing guitar finger picking strains of "Everbody's Talkin"performed by Harry Nilsson (Nilsson) from the 1969 movie Midnight Cowboy. That's just me...

If I could continue down the twisted road of my music mind their sound is like country music from an alternate universe.  It has reflections of current alt country that has been transmitted out into deep space years ago and then after alien sound mixing and editing has been sent back to earth in this form. The song "Run Thru" is a good example.

Their jam throughout this album brings in brass and guitar.  "One Big Holiday" has been one of their biggest hits and has been regular favorites at Bonnaroo festival  and on their tours.  Some of their songs seem to be like walking thru thick honeysuckle.  "Rollin' Back", "Just One Thing" and "Steam Engine" are beautiful slow rolling songs that you need to allow to grow over you like time lapsed photography.  All the songs off this record have a balanced rock sweetness that you need to listen to on a lazy Summer evening.

This album is still unique and continues to sound like nothing else to me.

Michael Smith, The Showbiz Kids