Evil Urges

by

My Morning Jacket

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"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.

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.