My Morning Jacket – albums ranked

Even if you’ve been hiding underground for the past ten years you’ve probably felt the presence of My Morning Jacket. This band has given new meaning to rock! and thankfully at just the right time when the rock scene had little to be grateful for. David Dye, the longtime Philadelphia radio personality and host of the terrific public radio show World Café gave me my first dose of My Morning Jacket in the summer of 2003. This was just before the release of their third album It Still Moves and I’ve been pumping my fist ever since.

1. Z – This album is an ass kicker. My Morning Jacket’s evolution from It Still Moves to this album is an amazing accomplishment especially considering the addition of two new members.  Just as I wouldn’t punch a good friend in the gut without first telling him it’s coming, Z is not my first recommendation to anyone new to the band. Their first three albums should be given some spins before this one gets tackled or one may get hurt and sent home crying. The production of Z is much cleaner than their previous efforts which were thick in foggy reverb, and singer & guitarist Jim James took his song writing to a new level while leaving production duties behind for the first time. John Leckie produced this magnificent gem that is the most creative, pulsating and rhythmically driving record to date for the band. From beginning to end Z is nearly flawless, and it produced some of my favorite tracks ever by the band including “It Beats 4 U”, “Gideon”, “Anytime” and the patient monster, “Dondante”. I hold this album in very high regard.
2. It Still Moves It Still Moves was a nice follow up to the buzz shaped by At Dawn and it layed the roots deep for their present rock-n-roll sound. This album was released September 9th, 2003 on ATO Records, the first major label release for the band. The record was introduced with some critical acclaim and it certainly doesn’t shy away from being accessible with a poppier rock sound, but overall it lacks the edge and inventiveness of their previous and follow-up efforts respectively. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a great album though as It Still Moves produced some powerhouse live tunes like “One Big Holiday”, a huge rocker with some of the nastiest guitar riffs ever. “Mahgeetah”, “Dancefloors” and “Run Thru” also rock big and “Steam Engine” and “Golden” are nice mellower numbers. This was my introduction to this great band and I imagine it was many others’ as well. Check it out.
3. At Dawn – Recently I found out that a bottle of wine, a warm and sunny evening, and At Dawn at a moderate volume is a wonderful combination. At Dawn is My Morning Jacket’s second album and was released June 5th, 2001.  It soon got the recognition it deserved and became a key turning point on the road that got the band to where they are today. This album is warm in layers of acoustic and electric guitar and is the first with keyboards which is an essential element to the band’s southern gothic sound. Jim James’ vocals on At Dawn are dreamy at times, and emotionally raw at others, all the while pushing the edge to what would become My Morning Jacket’s trademark sound. I really like the title track as well as “Death is the Easy Way”, “Honest Man” and “Phone Went West”. At Dawn is a perfect place to start.
4. The Waterfall
5. Circuital
6. Evil Urges – Evil Urges was released June 10th, 2008 and once again represented a major change for the band. Following the 2005 classic Z, Evil Urges once more explores experimentation but this time it takes it up a notch or three as a genre-bending album full of funk inspiration, falsetto vocals, prog-rocking structure and everything else the band has been known for.  The eclecticism mentioned sometimes makes for a bumpy ride and therefore Evil Urges falls to #6 on my list when evaluating the album as a whole. That doesn’t mean Evil Urges lacks brilliance because it is brilliant in numerous places. Just check out the title track “Evil Urges”, the country-rockin “Sec Walkin”, the hard rockers “Aluminum Park” and “Remnants”, the great lyrics in “Smokin from Shootin”, and perhaps the best track on the album “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt. 2”. I imagine the band had a lot of fun writing Evil Urges, but overall my funny bone ain’t always tickled by this one.
7. The Tennessee Fire – It’s hard to believe it’s been over 15 years since My Morning Jacket released their first album on May 25th, 1999. In The Tennessee Fire, Jim James shines through the dark smoky reverb filled atmosphere the acoustic guitars, electric guitars, lap steel, bass and drums evoke. This album was recorded in a grain silo on a Kentucky farm and in its echoey chamber sound it is quite obvious. But leaving all production judgement behind, The Tennessee Fire is a beautiful alt-country album made of emotional songs that sound like they were written by Jim James and a bottle of cheap bourbon in a backwoods mountain shack. The deliberate reverbed sound of this album keeps one warm through the moody and intimate lyrics Jim James cries. “The Bear” is a very fine song that foreshadows where this band soon would go. “Evelyn Is Not Real” is extremely beautiful as is “I Will Be There When You Die”.  The Tennessee Fire is a terrific album that sits at the bottom of my list more so due to the strength of the others, rather than the lack of its own brilliance. If you’re a sad bastard, you’ll probably love this one.