When My Morning Jacket released The Waterfall in 2015, they had enough material left over from the recording sessions to put together a second full-length record but no real timetable for when, or if, that might happen. Cut to 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic and lead vocalist/chief songwriter Jim James is out walking near his home in Louisville when the unreleased song "Spinning My Wheels" comes on his phone during shuffle play. It must have been a sign as it inspired James to re-visit the long lost second album recorded during The Waterfall sessions and free it into the messed up world that was 2020.
The Waterfall II sounds nothing like something recorded five to seven years ago. Lyrically, much of the album sounds downright topical given the Hell we all lived through in 2020. Musically, it's what My Morning Jacket does best. Explore various styles of rock with some heavy moments offset by some quiet, beautiful moments. It all starts out with the aforementioned "Spinning My Wheels", a subdued, lovely ballad, among the best the band has released. Other strong ballads include the guitar heavy "Feel You" and album closer "The First Time". "Climbing The Ladder" sees the band explore Southern rock roots, while "Wasted" and "Magic Bullet" are all set to absolutely destroy live by the best live band on the planet, whenever concerts are able to be held again.
The Waterfall II was a surprise gift, something that was needed in 2020 when music was one of the biggest things people turned to for reassurance, a sense of normalcy and relief from a truly awful year.
Favorite tracks: "Spinning My Wheels", "Feel You", "Wasted", "Magic Bullet"
The Waterfall II was released July 10th, 2020 on ATO Records.
Official Website of My Morning Jacket
Follow My Morning Jacket on Twitter
Purchase The Waterfall II from Bullmoose.com
Purchase The Waterfall II from Amazon.com
Comments