My Morning Jacket Is Reviewed: Kentucky combo find new impetus on first album in four years

Louisvillians’ tenth LP polishes the production while leaving room for jams.


by Tom Doyle |
Updated on

My Morning Jacket

Is

★★★★

ATO

More than a quarter of a century into their career, and after suffering a collective crisis in the latter half of the past decade that nearly saw them split, My Morning Jacket have found fresh impetus with Is, following their self-titled 2021 album. The big change here is their drafting in of an outside producer, Brendan O’Brien (Bruce SpringsteenPearl Jam), and a sharper focus on melodies.

O’Brien’s involvement also helps to bridge the distance between MMJ’s heavy rocking live shows and their generally more contained sound on record, and the result successfully veers from radio-friendly gems Everyday Magic and Time Waited (built around a tumbling piano sample from pedal steel player Buddy Emmons’ 1969 LP Emmons Guitar Inc) to Free-styled riffer Squid Ink and bluesy closer River Road.

Is by My Morning Jacket is out 21 March on ATO Records.

Order: Amazon | Rough Trade

Tracklist:

Out in the Open
Half a Lifetime
Everyday Magic
I Can Hear Your Love
Time Waited
Beginning From the Ending
Lemme Know
Squid Ink
Die For It
River Road

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