is: My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket have come a long way since their debut album, The Tennessee Fire, which was partly recorded in an improvised studio above vocalist/guitarist Jim James’s cousin’s garage. For the Kentucky-bred rock band’s milestone tenth release, they enlisted Grammy Award-winning producer Brendan O’Brien (known for working with Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam). The album starts with “Out in the Open,” which features James’s reverberating vocals and a flitting guitar riff that has become a staple sound for the band. But following this, is takes a more polished and slightly commercial turn, most notably with the slow reimagined demo “Half a Lifetime” and bubble-gummy “Everyday Magic.” Throughout their discography, the band has experimented with sounds that have led to their evolution, but for the most part, they have taken a self-produced approach. Trading in this DIY attitude from the band’s early days for a high-end Los Angeles studio, is lacks the spark that cemented My Morning Jacket as indie-rock legends in the first place.

-Adrian Lysenko

2.5/5