By Ari Howorth
Staff Writer
Genre-hopping is an ambitious undertaking that commonly leads to disorganized and inconsistent albums. My Morning Jacket’s new album, “Circuital,” bucks the trend.
“Circuital,” a departure from My Morning Jacket’s earlier straightforward rock albums, creates a surprising listening experience that successfully displays talent in a multitude of genres.
This Kentucky rock band consists of front-man Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel and keyboardist Bo Koster. The band has been together since 1991, and has been continuously altering its style since it started performing. James claimed that he wished to move away from traditional rock and roll with this new album.
“Circuital” opens strongly but slowly, with the entrancing six-minute track “Victory Dance.” It describes a soldier preparing for battle and similarly prepares the listener for the album thematically and aesthetically. “Victory Dance” is simple and true to My Morning Jacket’s usual folk-rock style.
The acoustic ballad, “Wonderful (The Way I Feel),” touches upon simpler folk music with greater emphasis on lyrics, which is similar to the style of the earlier My Morning Jacket albums. However, this fact doesn’t take away from the boldness and experimentation of the album as a whole.
The band addresses drug use and dangerous lifestyles through the lyrics of “You Wanna Freak Out.” Surprisingly, for its subject matter, the song is less psychedelic than the average My Morning Jacket song; it places greater emphasis on lyrical content. The song succeeds in maintaining a fun, fast pace, while retaining the intriguing subject matter common on “Circuital.”
The track “Outta My System” completely differs from the band’s usual style and is a clear tribute to the Beach Boys. With lyrics about regret, “Outta My System” stands as the most unique track of the album and the most emotionally satisfying.
My Morning Jacket should be applauded for going out of its comfort zone in “Circuital,” but it does not live up to the standard set by previous record, “Evil Urges.” Although James successfully strays from pure rock and roll with “Circuital,” the songwriting was a disappointment in the context of past albums.
“Circuital” is an enjoyable collection of a wide range of genres that demonstrates that My Morning Jacket is far from a one trick pony. Although “Circuital” is not as structured as past albums, it manages to balance energy and fun with underlying significant themes about life and the loss of innocence. “Circuital” was released on May 31 and is available online, digitally, and in stores nationwide.
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