Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 03/10/05
Label: ATO/RCA

Being born out of time is the biggest curse of all. Just as being born of the times is the biggest stroke of fortune. In another era, Robbie Williams would play cruise ships, Pete Doherty would support New Labour favourite's Sham 69 and My Morning Jacket would be one of the world's biggest bands. Only history will reveal the truth.

For now, MMJ remain a round peg in a world of square holes. Too hairy for the pork pie-hatted NME and too young for MOJO/Uncut (where, like the Conservative Party, the readership demographic is surely in danger of dying off) their course runs counter to prevailing trends. The concept of five grizzly-headed men specialising in reverb-drenched heavenly guitar music has so far won only a cult audience.

Which means that "Z", their second album for a major, finds MMJ at something of a career crossroads. This could explain the presence of John Leckie in the producer's chair and that this is their first experience of recording outside of a Kentucky grain silo. Leckie, who has worked with everyone from Pink Floyd to the Stone Roses, has effectively drained all the reverb from their sound. Fortunately, he has not removed an iota of their soul.

The departure of two founding members has not diminished them either. Although, saying that, it's not until three tracks have passed that those trademark guitars make an appearance. The opening triumvirate of "Wordless Chorus" (as it says on the tin, its chorus is…wordless), "It Beats 4 U" and "Gideon" inhabit vast chasms of space and fill it with keyboards, soft melodies and Jim James' spiralling falsetto. Though he sounds like an angel, the frontman's lyrics reach for surreal flights of fancy and occasionally much darker, wounded places. "We are the innovators. They are the imitators," he sermonises ominously.

At which point the whole world turns inside out and MMJ break into a series of hook-strewn pop songs. "What A Wonderful Man", "Off The Record" and "Anytime" are all built on choruses that even the dead could hum. James' surrealistic symbolism remains, but the effect is akin to cracking the darkness open with a ring of multi-florescent fairy lights. This possibly comes to a head on "Into The Woods". Not many songs can open with the lines, "A kitten on fire. A baby in a blender. Both sound as sweet as a night of surrender", and make them sound like the sweetest song Neil Young never wrote. Even prettier is the full moon beauty of "Knot Comes Loose" and, finally, the sprawling closer "Dondante".

Of course, you'll have read recent reviews describing how Young, along with The Stones, Macca and Alex Chilton, have all made albums up there with the best of their work. Don't believe them. They're liars. But in "Z" we have a modern day classic of our own. So, people of the world, listen up. Make these troubled times just a tiny bit better. Freshen your breath. Change history. Buy this record.

    by Adam Webb