The Waterfall
Capitol/Spunk
There was a time when My Morning Jacket were seen simply as a bunch of recluses playing country tunes. Since then, Jim James has become one of the most prolific chaps around, offering his voice to any microphone he stumbles past, and the band have swallowed what is needed to be a guitar wielding psychedelic force of nature.
James’ voice is at the forefront of this record with his ever-increasing soulful tones driving the melodic nature of The Waterfall. Having explored his faith on his own solo LP, James kicks off this album with his bandmates by way of Believe (Nobody Knows). It is a grandiose statement of stadium rock proportions and is one of the most complete tunes that the band have released in some time.
’80s radio sounds seep in during the falsetto-led, Compound Fracture, which makes heavy use of synths and bright guitars that would be at home at an evening beach party where t-shirts and bright sports coats are the norm. It’s been a long time since My Morning Jacket have been in the business of making reverb-drenched acoustic tunes in a cavernous barn, but when Jim James strips it all back for Get The Point his pedigree as a roots writer comes to the fore.
My Morning Jacket appear to have no interest in creating the same record over again, such is the breadth of their albums to date. The Waterfall adds to this trend and it pulls from R&B and glam rock, but thankfully for old-time fans has some blissful moments of guitar rock for good measure.
★★★★
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
