Customer Reviews

Evil Urges

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

"Evil Urges" has polarized fans in their opinions about the stylistic changes MMJ has undergone since they creeped into the consciousness of the indie rock world. It is a record that is very different from the brand of Americana roots rock that they produced with their first three records. When they released "Z" in 2005, it was a stylistic departure that was surprising at first, but was largely accepted by their fans as a modern classic and a willingness to experiment akin to Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". Much of the criticism about "Evil Urges" has been directed towards what some fans perceive to be a more extreme departure from their earlier sounds than attempted with "Z" on some songs, but also a sense of playing it too safe with more traditional material on other songs. The point seems to be that "Evil Urges" is significantly less consistent than "Z" which I disagree with.

"Z" and "Evil Urges" have a very similar sequence. Both records start with falsetto infused modern rock and arty pop. Both records have a middle section comprised of more straightforward guitar driven rock and some rootsy material. And both have ending pieces that have a similar level of dramatic tension, although different in style.

That's not to say that "Evil Urges" is a copy of "Z". Its range of styles is more extreme which can come across as a band unclear in its direction but there are two themes that run through the disc that bring it all together. The first is its roots in R&B sounds both modern and classic. The ringing guitar sounds and thumping bass of the title track and both parts of "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream" plus the 70's AM radio soul of "Thank You Too!", "Sec Walkin" and "Look At You" are evidence of the band's passion for R&B that make this record so distinctive. This is accomplished while also retaining elements of the band's trademark southern sound, with splashes of slide guitar, electric piano, and Jim James' trademark southern drawl. The record does have one jump-the-shark moment with "Highly Suspicious", but it's a relatively minor offense that the skip button won't cure as the mood strikes you.

The songs on "Evil Urges" are tied together by a lyrical theme throughout the record dealing with conflicts in faith and morality. The title cut addresses the moral judgements placed on freedom of sexuality. "I'm Amazed" addresses "the lack of faith", "the love we rejecting" and "what we accept in its place". "Sec Walkin" is an image of an individual walking through life looking for someone with compassion but finding "demon eyes watching" and wondering "brother - don't you care?" The acoustic "Librarian" uses the title subject as a metaphor to address the superficiality of our culture in the values that we place on physical beauty and instant gratification. The hard rocking "Remnants" imagines "a new 'heaven' formed in the bleeding light of dusk -- all souls, all faiths, always - we are one". And "Smokin From Shootin" wonders "what is life in god, a perfect vision of the self?" and states that "faith can't prove what science won't resolve" when a relationship has been changed by their lover's newfound faith. These lyrical themes make the record much more cohesive than the critic's give it credit.

If you're a fan of the band's earlier material and were not as big a fan of "Z", "Evil Urges" probably won't appeal to you. If you're a fan of "Z" regardless, there is a lot to like about this record and I highly recommend it. Whether you're an existing fan or new to the band entirely, free your mind of expectations and let this record speak to you on its own terms.

Dylan. The Rolling Thunder Revue. I'm Not There. It was these things that brought My Morning Jacket, or rather Jim James, to my (re)attention. After hearing the name My Morning Jacket, and liking it, in 1999 I was largely non-blown away by this interestingly named band. However, upon watching "I'm Not There" and hearing Jim James (and Calexico) better Dylan's original version of "Goin' To Acupulco" in full Rolling Thunder Revue face paint I was definitely intrigued. "If the singer can nail that then surely his band must be worth another look" I remember musing whilst listening to said cover for about the tenth time in a row. As luck would have it My Morning Jacket were preparing a new album; the excellently titled "Evil Urges". If I was to start anywhere why not start at where they're at right now and work back. And so I did.

Evil Urges begins with a triplet of bizarre-yet-brilliant songs. After going from listening to the acoustic classicism of a Dylan cover to the rock and funk falsetto freakishness that is the albums opening gambit is quite a journey, albeit an enjoyable one. This opening section energizes, challenges and tempts the senses with its ambition, style and execution which, through reading fan reviews, has left some MMJ "traditionalists" scratching their heads. However, music is often a vehicle for change and if you're left asking questions like "why don't do they do it like they used to" then you should probably buy a U2 album and be happy at the dull familiarity of every song. This is MMJ with Prince-like sex appeal and a willingness to ditch the alt-country cloak that has been draped on them thus far.

The middle section does hark back to their roots with the southern rock influenced "Thank You Too", the subtle soul of "Sec Wakin'" and the beautiful "Librarian". However, these are not a step backwards rather than a band showing what they can do in the quiet moments. And what can they do? Make those moments soothing and poignant.

The album picks up a heavier pace with "Aluminum Park" before finishing on the twelve minute plus couplet of "Smokin' From Shootin'" and "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream (part 2)" which uses Jim James antiquated Omnichord to full effect.

As a "new" and fickle fan this album doesn't have a bad track on it. It begs to be played again and again in order to fully appreciate the nuance and novelty of a band who still make full albums and not just singles for iTunes.

If you, or I, needed any proof at the impact of this album then hear this: a week after getting this album I purchased MMJ's back catalogue and now have a much greater appreciation of tracks like "The Bear", "Gideon" and "I Will Be There When You Die". How many albums make you do that?

That was my first response while listening to this album. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and it wasn't in a good way. I hated this album. I hated the fact that the soaring vocals were replaced by something Prince-like, I hated the fact that nearly ALL the reverb on the previous records were gone, and I really hated the fact that there was barely any rock songs on this record. Minus a few tracks, I was ready to sell this cd.

Then something happened.

A friend of mine told me that him and his buddies were going to see My Morning Jacket live in Louisville at the Waterfront Park, and he invited me to go. I went to go see them, and I became a huge fan. I realized what they were aiming for. They wanted to show their fans that "Hey, we are influnced by a lot of classic rock, but we're also influenced by the music of today." To put it simply, live, the new songs rocked just as hard as the classics from It Still Moves, At Dawn, and Z, and fit the band like an old glove.

As bands get older, they have to evolve. There is no other choice. Radiohead did so with OK Computer, further destroying the ties to their britpop brothers. Same with Pink Floyd, same with Led Zeppelin, same with The Beatles, same with every great artist. One can see that evolutionary step in My Morning Jacket's live shows, in which case the songs range from psychedelic to country to funk to rock and roll. What Evil Urges is attempting to do is to bring that live eclectisism into an album, and it succeeds on every level. This is the music that an accomplished band like My Morning Jacket should be making after 10 years of the tried-and-true formula.

Right off the bat, Evil Urges is a song that will divide fans. The falsetto vocals, syncopated drums, sparkly guitars, and strange production is all there, but it's a given an alien sheen which might make old fans scratch their heads. Give it time, it really sucks you in. Touch Me Pt. 1 is another "WTF?" moment on an album chock full of those. It could pass for a Flaming Lips song were it not for the breathy vocals of Jim James.

Highly Suspicious is the biggest "HUH?" moment on the whole album. Trust me, if you're patient, it's very rewarding. What starts out as a funny Prince homage turns into a energetic rocker with an incredible lead guitar lick. See this song live, you'll change your mind about it.

I'm Amazed is a flat out rock and roll song. It's catchy and irrestiable, probably one of the best rock songs of 2008.

Thank You Too! and Sec Walkin' are the more experimental songs on the album, the former being as soulful as MMJ can get, while Sec Walkin' is definetly a country-tinged folky tune reminscient of the early days.

Two Halves brings in mind Buddy Holly, and Librarian is a weird country ode to sexy librarians, though it's a little more deep than that.

Aluminum Park and Remnants bring some much needed loudness to the set. These songs are furious live and it gives the album a good edge.

Smokin' From Shootin' is another strange number, an electronic ballad with some soaring vocals about God, life and death. Finally, Touch Me Pt. 2 is a funky disco about finding pleasure. Leave it to Jim James to add a grand dose of weirdness to everything he does. It works though, strangly enough, it works.

Evil Urges is the sound of an accomplished band. Pure and simple. It's the sound of a band determined to make some daring and strange work in the near future. Go Kentucky!

My first MMJ album was 2001's At Dawn, which is by now 7 years old. That album struck an immediate chord with me, perfectly and effortlessly weaving together the classic rock I grew up with and the newer, alternative rock (such as The Flaming Lips) that I was currently listening to at that time. The reverb-drenched vocals and echoey production gave the album a hazy, moody feel, imbuing even the lesser tracks with depth and emotion. Every song sounded of a piece to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts that occupied a unique space in my collection and in my head. In fact, the album was the soundtrack to that period of my life. It Still Moves (the follow-up to At Dawn) maintained the beautiful production and added some oomph in the guitar area, bringing the sound closer to the band's legendary live experience without sacrificing any of the band's unique sound. The next album, Z, added a touch of keyboards and some new influences (reggae, for example, on "Off The Record"), while further peeling away some of the murk for a more straightforward rock sound. This evolution worked well for the band, and despite missing the reverby earlier work I became accustomed to the new sound very quickly. In between, the band released some great live material as well (Acoustic Citsuoca: Live at the Startime Pavilion and Okonokos), all of which represented a significant addition to the band's catalog.

Which brings us to Evil Urges, the latest addition to the band's esteemed catalog. For the first time since At Dawn, I don't quite know quite what to make of the latest MMJ album. The first track ("Evil Urges") is a nice mix of post-Z keyboard-centric MMJ with a classic soul sound (yes a bit reminiscent of Prince but also of a lot of pre-Prince music which probably influenced Prince). The next two tracks however left me a little cold. "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream (Part I)" is just somewhat dull and meandering, although it is definitely growing on me. "Highly Suspicious," which occupies the third ("anchor") slot, is entertaining and reminds me of Run DMC in an odd way. It's a novelty song and thumbs its nose at mass appeal, but yet it's oddly catchy and might just draw in some listeners as well. However it really doesn't sound like MMJ at all - hardly the same band that created the earlier body of work with which I am so familiar (and the rest of the songs on this album).

Then suddenly track 4 rolls around and we have a classic soaring MMJ song, one of their very best in fact, with "I'm Amazed." Next comes "Thank You Too!", a beautiful Eagles-influenced song with swelling strings. "Sec Walkin"'s slide guitars bring back the alt-country for which this band was so well known, with great soul-influenced backing vocals. "Librarian" is a straightforward and clever love song that reminds me a bit of White Album-era Beatles. Later tracks including "Remnants" and "Aluminum Park" round out the album with a more straightforward heavier rock sound, reminding me of It Still Moves. Overall, after all is said and done, this turns out to be a very solid (albeit a bit overproduced) album that shows the band really enjoying their craft and expanding their sound in interesting directions.

So why the 4 stars (instead of 5, like all their other work)? It's due to the lack of cohesiveness. The band seems out to prove their versatility here, and they certainly are adept at many styles. Even the experiments which don't really work are worth a listen. However, the diversity of sound comes at the expense of the band's unique ability to craft albums where every song sounds of a piece and in the right place in relation to the others. The band sounds restless, which is a good thing, but they also sound trapped by their restlessness, wondering what kind of band they want to be. Even their photo displays this fact - some members with new hairstyles and clothes, others looking the same as before. I have a gut feeling that MMJ is searching for their image, and this may just be something they have to grow through or into as they gain popularity.

So in summary, a very good album but one that will hopefully be a stepping stone towards even better things as the band goes through necessary growing pains and irons out the kinks.

Geeesh. It's one thing to call this "experimental", but why mess with the most distinctive thing about this band - Jim James' voice? And did they have to also go in what I only can refer to as a retro-pop direction for most of the album? To me it's not a very "experimental" move to travel down roads that were worn out in previous decades (disco, country rock, 80's dance pop), but it's not necessarily a bad thing either. If you are going to travel down those roads though you should do it without losing what makes you stand out in the first place, and sadly, upon initial listenings, that seems to be what MMJ have done here. I've been a fan since "It Still Moves", and, like some other reviewers, I felt that "Z" was the best album of 2005. I had really high hopes for this album and I'm still hoping it will grow on me, thus the optimistic 3 star rating. However, it's not looking good when a great band releases a song that is so overwhelmingly irritating that it forces me to get up and hit the skip button. "Highly Suspicious" is that song. As for the rest of the album, it's not really that it's bad, just not as immediately outstanding as some of their earlier material. I guess my point in even bothering to review this album at all is that you should beware of people that refer to this release as "ground breaking" or "experimental". It may be breaking different ground for MMJ as a band, but there isn't anything here that you haven't heard before, and better too, either by them or other artists. A bit disappointing for a band as good as this.

Music that appeals to me right away I lose interest in faster than music that grows over time. When I first heard "Evil Urges" I hated it. Now after two weeks of steady listening I love it. When I got over my anger for Highly Suspicious I realized how many amazing moments are on this disc. It has a definite classic rock sound. Jim James sounds great as usual. Stop all the camparisons to "Z" and the incredible "At Dawn", judge it on it's own. If you have not given it a fair chance please do, it's worth it.

In 2005, My Morning Jacket released its commercial and critical breakthrough album "Z". It was a masterpiece in every which way, and I had it as my top album of the year. After taking time off (releasing the seminal "Okonokos" live CD along the way), MMJ finally comes back with its highly anticipated new studio album, three years in the making.

"Evil Urges" (14 tracks, 55 min.) plays like a 3 part musical drama. The first 4 tracks find Jim James and his band continuing the exploratory themes of "Z", with the excellent title track, but also in particular "Highly Suspicious", which reminds of Prince of all people, and a thrilling "I'm Amazed". The middle section of the album retreats to more "traditional" MMJ, with pensive tracks such as the beautiful acoustic "Librarian" which Jim James finds lamenting for a love-wanna. The last third of the album, though, is where the real pay-off comes, starting with a hard charging (and sing-along) "Aluminum Park", and peaking with the 13 min. mini-suite of "Smookin From Shootin" and "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.2", as mesmerizing as anything MMJ has done. Just beautiful.

In all, "Evil Urges" is a fantastic album, although (for me personally) falling *this* short of the astounding album that "Z" was and is. That aside, MMJ is one of the best live acts out there these days. I saw them again at Coachella a few months ago, where they previewed several of the new album tracks (including "Highly Suspicious" and "I'm Amazed") and it was stellar. MMJ is a breath of fresh air in the indie-rock scene. "Evil Urges" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I am really confused by this album. I've been trying to put my finger on what the problem is and I think they've oversimplified things. It seems like these songs were crafted to appeal to more of a mass audience and they've lost their edge. I kept waiting for the drumming, guitars, and Jim James' voice to elevate me to the heights we experienced with It Still Moves, Z, and At Dawn but they're no where to be found. There are no crescendos here. It's sort of experimental with the Prince-like singing on a few songs but overall the album falls flat. I'll be eagerly awaiting a return to form from one of my favorite bands.

MMJ has been one of my favorite bands the last 4 years. I have most all of their releases, and Evil Urges is just a huge disappointment for me.

I have gone back and listened to their prior CDs - It Still Moves, At Dawn, Tenn Fire, and I just don't hear or feel on Evil Urges the passion, touching creative lyrics, beautiful vocals, power, excellent guitar jams, and artistic uniqueness of their recording/production style that this band is (was) all about.

Maybe I need to give this new CD more of a chance. But I lack interest in doing so as it does not move me. Evil Urges lyrics are simple, Jims vocals seem not the same, and he is adding more and more screams/yells these days which I wish he would just sing as he can so beautifully. The drumming does not seem to have the power or great beats as it once did. Even the back up vocals at times on this new CD are corny.

I hope I have not been too harsh here. I will continue to listen to their prior CDs with passion and will keep the door open for their next release.

That's my Lowdown, ain't no need for repeatin....(you know the rest)

I've had to let this one settle for about two weeks. I've flip flopped back and forth regarding 'Evil Urges', and I've come to the conclusion that this is an album of worth. There's enough on here that I keep coming back to, like 'Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Parts 1 & 2', 'I'm Amazed', 'Thank You Too', 'Sec Walkin', 'Aluminum Park', and the beautiful 'Smokin From Shootin'. I think everyone has valid points in their criticsms of this, and yes, artists have a certain bit of debt they owe to fans. We are, after all, the ones that have supported them and followed them through the years. But, being a musician and songwriter my self, sometimes you have to follow your heart. The muse takes you in certain directions, and you just have to go with it. I think Jim James has done this, to some of his longtime fans unamusement. There were a lot of folks that said Wilco's 'Sky Blue Sky' was a bad album. I thought it was their best, so far. Alot of music fans tend to take their favorite artist and sort of lock them into a specific mold. So when they break out of their alt-country, space jam, atmospheric mold, then they are in turn leaving these die hard fans behind. Feelings get hurt, fans feel betrayed. It happens. It certainly happened here. I try to keep my mind open, and this album surely tested my patience for sure. But I do like this album alot. Not as consistent as 'Z', but I still give it 4 stars. I'm not gonna argue with people that say this album is a 'turd', because it certainly took awhile for me to get over some of the songs on here. But it eventually worked for me, and now I consider it one of the best of '08, so far. To each his own. That's all.