My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves Album Review

Ok, I'll admit it: maybe I'm a little late on this one. 2003 was, like, 20 years ago! Seriously though, this album holds up, and I can't believe the only MMJ album I've reviewed is the most recent one, arguably one of the most mediocre ones. So I'm going back to the classics, to the album that set MMJ apart. I'll rate all the songs and give a final ranking (based on how much I enjoy them, not necessarily their quality). Here's It Still Moves in its entirety.

Mahgeetah (5:56)

Don't get too hung up on the title; it's simply a Jim James-ism for "my guitar". The lyrics are rather unimportant, focusing on the narrator's (presumably James') relationship with his guitar. Fittingly, the guitar is most heavily featured on this track, with a few riffs playing through behind the vocals throughout the entirety of the song. The "chorus" of this song is essentially Jim James modulating one note in a melody. All of this leads up to the last 2 minutes of the song, when, in classic MMJ fashion, the song begins to finally reach its climax; James repeats the refrain ("ahhhh, mahgeetah, mahgeetah") before the guitar plays a heavier version of the riff. The remainder of the song is a guitar solo over a full-band jam session, never growing out of control but gaining some solid energy and drive. The song ends with a solid drum fill and some nice organ work.

Mahgeetah holds a special place in my heart; it's a childhood song, a track that I remember hearing so vividly in my dad's car as I wondered what the heck James was trying to say. Long before my formal introduction to My Morning Jacket, there was Mahgeetah. It's not the peak of the album, but then again, it's not intended to be. It opens the album well, establishing the positive energy that radiates through the rest of the track list.

Rating: 8.5/10

Dancefloors (5:38)

Dancefloors has the same structure as Mahgeetah: a solid guitar riff interwoven with James and his bizarre lyricism. The lyrics have a bit more nuance, perhaps, but not much; the focus remains on the jam session towards the end of the track (in this case, the entire back half of it). By 2:50 James is done singing, allowing for a full-band jam that escalates wildly. Dancefloors loves saxophone and keys, two underappreciated instruments in MMJ's discography; this track gives them some much-needed love.

As the jam slowly quiets a quick tempo remains, dwindling down to light keys, guitar, and drumset. The jam returns just as slowly as it faded, until the sax cuts in abruptly to bring the band back to full force. It's hard to convey the energy of Dancefloors, so you'll just have to listen to it yourself!

Rating: 8/10

Golden (4:39)

An abrupt tone switch from Dancefloors, Golden is the epitome of melancholy.

People always told me

That bars are dark and lonely

And talk is often cheap and filled with air

Sure, sometimes they thrill me

But nothing could ever chill me

Like the way they make the time just disappear

Driven by deceptively quick percussion, consistent shaker, and light acoustic guitar, Golden is carried along by James' haunting vocals. James laments the finite nature of time as the band reaches a new level of success; he appreciates that he and his bandmates have found a way to pursue their passions in such a fruitful way, but he worries about how it may affect them.

What does it mean to feel

Millions of dreams come real?

A feeling in my soul

I'd never felt before

James clearly has a deep connection to his music and his fans. Live MMJ is an otherworldly experience for both the listener and the band, but such a feeling is so unknown to James that he worries how long it could possibly last.

And you, you always told me

No matter how long it holds me

If it falls apart or makes us millionaires

We'll be right here forever

Go through this thing together

And on heaven's golden shore we'll lay our heads

In the end, James realizes that worrying is pointless as he falls back on the reassurances of his bandmates. Those last three lines are beautiful to me, so wonderfully open to interpretation yet so clearly soulful and full of hope. Golden is the most masterfully written track on this album in terms of its ability to elicit an emotional response in the listener. I challenge you to listen to this track by yourself and focus on the lyrics without feeling something. Maybe it's sadness, maybe it's hope, maybe it's melancholy, but it's definitely something.

Rating: 9.5/10

Masterplan (5:05)

MMJ enters an even more minor key with Masterplan, a slower, heavier track that focuses on the narrator's plan for his relationship. The lyrics are somewhat contradictory, focusing on the fickle nature of a relationship that is so difficult at times, but still "so sweet".

I've got a masterplan, babe

I've been workin' on it from the start

Pluggin' in all of the numbers, watchin' it on all of the charts

Just cause it starts off slow, babe

Doesn't mean it don't have a heart

You'll be walking 'round showin' off someday

And it'll take you right back to the start

I have a hard time understanding the lyrics of Masterplan because it sounds so devious half the time, but the other half is shockingly tender and loving. "Soft and warm all the time, make you want it over and over; strong on the horizon, but ends up bein' really so sweet..." I don't fully understand what James was going for here, but it comes off slightly manipulative and obsessive, like an "Every Breath You Take"-type vibe.

Anyway, I won't bother with the lyrics; the track as a whole has some fun instrumentals, especially the back end when the guitars get to let loose a bit over a slow, heavy percussion groove. Not the greatest on the album, but if Masterplan is anywhere near the bottom of this album that's just an indication of how amazing this album is.

Rating: 7.5/10

One Big Holiday (5:21)

Disclaimer: you will never fully appreciate One Big Holiday until you see it performed live. Completely different level. One Big Holiday is one of the more notable MMJ songs, performing well on Spotify and garnering a bit more press than their other tracks on It Still Moves (with the exception of Golden), and for good reason. It takes a minute and a half to get to the first verse as the cymbals and guitar slowly build up to a quick high point before James enters on vocals; it's like James is giving you a taste of what's coming without spoiling the whole thing.

Wakin' up feeling good and limber

When the telephone, it rings

Was a bad man from California

Tellin' of a stone he'd bring

(I'd bring)

One Big Holiday is both a celebration of the band's success and a lamentation of the annoyances that accompany such success. The "bad man from California" is a record label, convincing MMJ that they could bring their music to California through the label. Of course, such companies are only looking out for themselves.

And of better days

From this town we'd escape

If we holler loud and make our way

We'd all live one big holiday

The man from the label makes grand promises while neglecting to mention the work that touring and recording takes, yet the band fantasizes about their one big holiday, living out their dream of pursuing music as a livelihood. Although the lyrics never resolve the conflict between the musicians and the man from California, I like to interpret the end of the song, a huge jam centered around the primary melody and a ripping guitar solo, as a sign of success and triumph. It Still Moves marked the beginning of a strong career for My Morning Jacket, in large part due to tracks like One Big Holiday. Give it a listen and try to imagine how it sounds live; I promise whatever you come up with pales in comparison to the real thing.

Rating: 9/10

I Will Sing You Songs (9:18)

Talk about a change of pace. IWSYS (yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and abbreviate that) is the definition of a slow jam. Starting off with barely audible drum and light guitar, it's easy to understand how MMJ managed to make over 9 minutes here. What's harder to grasp is how it can possibly be worth the length; to an extent, I understand that issue. That issue fails, however, when you realize that IWSYS is worth every second of the 558 seconds you spend on it.

I will sing to you of greater things

Money, gold and diamond rings

Just don't make it last any longer than it has to

Stories of the greater years

Fill your heart and soul with tears

Just don't make it last any longer than it has to

Hopefully you weren't expecting any more lyrics, 'cause that's basically it. 9 minutes seems like a lot to get through, but you find yourself lost in the flow of the track, floating along with the otherworldly choruses behind the methodical, rolling instrumental. Once you've heard the chorus twice and the track moves to the jam, it's hard not to lose yourself in the music. Definitely not for the average listener, but IWSYS is high quality.

Rating: 7.5/10 (.5 deducted for weird bubbling noises at the end)

Easy Morning Rebel (5:09)

Dancefloors 2.0? Easy Morning Rebel is an easy song to listen to (ha) because it follows an enjoyable formula utilized frequently on It Still Moves. It's a fun jam with a decent hook, but not a track spend much time analyzing lyrically. James runs out of lyrics before the halfway point in the song, allowing for a pretty cool tempo shift as the track gets slower, faster, and slower again by the end. The final section is a neat play on the original melody in a different feel, with heavier, more consistent percussion. The sax gets a bit more attention; always a bonus! Easy Morning Rebel is only decent, but it serves its purpose on an album with so many outstanding tracks.

Rating: 6/10

Run Thru (5:45)

In my early stages of MMJ listening, I stumbled upon a live version of Run Thru performed at a German club (link below).

(320) My Morning Jacket - Run Thru (Koln, Germany 2008) - YouTube

A lot of things about MMJ appealed to me, but this video revealed a new dimension of their music that I had yet to witness. Just the entrance of this song gave me chills.

Let me map out Run Thru for you. Vicious, slow, heavy guitar riff followed by the verse, written below:

Oh sh*t, run! Oh sh*t, run! Oh sh*t, run through the ghetto

They will hear you (they will hear you)

Morning bell tolls at home

Rings like back where I come from

Calls me back (calls me back)

Back to the first line of the verse with escalated guitar behind the vocals, followed by auxiliary, reverberating vocals. They continue at this slow pace until a sudden switch in tempo with only a low bass/synth line driving the band forward for four bars. The drums come in frantically, followed by rhythm and, finally, lead guitar. Add some harmonies and crank up the volume, gradual climax, sick synth solo in the middle, guitar wail like the very beginning and we're right back where we started!

It sounds so simple, and yet it's executed with such intensity and musicality that it far surpasses the sum of its parts. And however intense you think the studio version is, I promise that any live version of Run Thru is at least three times more intense. Despite the existence and popularity of Golden and One Big Holiday, I view Run Thru as the magnum opus of It Still Moves.

Rating: 9.5/10

Rollin' Back (7:50)

What follows is a masterclass in album construction. Run Thru was incredibly intense, driven, loud, minor, and adrenaline-inducing. Rollin' Back is everything that Run Thru is not: laid back, consistent, major, lyric-focused, and relaxing. The "chorus", if you can call it that, is simply James singing a few angelic notes with heavy echo. The track never changes tempo, the percussion gets louder occasionally, but never overwhelmingly so. The closest comparison between Rollin' Back and any other type of music would be to call it a lullaby.

Just in the nick of time you got me

While I was sittin' here

Time, I don't think I waste it, it just seems to disappear

.....

Oh, oh, oh, you had me

Wrapped up in your mystery

When the light vanished from on high

Oh I'll never say I knew you, but my heart...can't...wait...to...

Meet you, on the other side

By far my favorite lyrics on the album; James somehow conveys so many quintessential human quandaries at once. Maybe I read too far into his lyrics, but something about the human desire to know others, and to connect with them, comes through so clearly for me here. Yet he also finds that time he doesn't think he wasted just disappears; the days are too short, as so many of us feel. The second verse is just as lovely.

When I think about the story, one thing seems... pretty clear

The warm things you left behind, they still want you here

But only in time you find that all things come back around

And just like the frown, we'll turn them upside down (upside down)

.....

same as above

All while James waxes poetic, the band behind him moves methodically along, creating musical magic behind him with masterful layering of guitar and bass over a thin percussion section.

If you couldn't tell, Rollin' Back is my favorite track on It Still Moves, and one of my all-time favorite songs. To me, it's the purest form of musical bliss. Let me know if I'm nuts for thinking that, but I won't be changing my mind anytime soon.

Rating: 9/10

Just One Thing (3:13)

If Easy Morning Rebel is a mediocre Dancefloors, Just One Thing is a mediocre Golden/Rollin' Back. No, it's not bad, but it doesn't excite me. The lyrics feel dry and overexaggerated, the backing vocals feel like a poorly executed spinoff of Rollin' Back, and the instrumental has an orchestral track in the background that adds little to the overall feel of the track. If I had to pick a "worst" song on this album, it would probably be Just One Thing.

Not gonna dwell on this one anymore because the next track is significantly better.

Rating: 5/10

Steam Engine (7:25)

When I was younger, I grouped Steam Engine and Rollin' Back in the same category. I see now that they're both kinda long and both rely on a consistent backing track behind strong vocals, but that's where the similarities end.

Steam Engine is the most accurately named song I've ever heard. The first section of the song is supported by the sound of drumsticks clicking together like a metronome, reminiscent of the wheels of a steam locomotive clicking quickly along. Although that specific sound wraps up within the first few minutes, the song retains a relentless drive that feels steam-powered, refusing to slow even when the feel of the song changes.

So

I do believe

None of this is physical

At least not to me

So

I do believe

That anywhere it goes

It's always with me

James repeats "it" consistently on Steam Engine, and he never clarifies what exactly "it" is. The title gives no clues, and lyrics only make it more confusing. Maybe it's best not to analyze the lyrics because James probably didn't intend for it to have one concrete meaning. Per usual, MMJ leaves it up for interpretation. Speculation around this song says it might take place in a dream, and it might describe how James views his religion in comparison to the offerings of the secular world. I don't know about any of that, but I do know that it works brilliantly to convey a unique feeling.

Steam Engine feels nostalgic, simultaneously driven and laid back. If Run Thru and Rollin' Back are opposites, Steam Engine is right in the middle, with relentless drive in no rush to reach its destination. If it was up to me, I would place this track at the end of the album; Steam Engine is the last great track on It Still Moves, and it fits perfectly.

Rating: 8/10

One In the Same (6:23)

I don't like this song; I probably like it less than Just One Thing, and it's probably the only track on It Still Moves that I won't go out of my way to listen to. And, again, it's not even that bad, a testament to the quality of the album. It's slow, it's long, it's minor, and it sounds like In Color, off of the most recent MMJ album, which is not a good song; it's better than that, but just barely. Again, I won't waste any time here. Jim James has great vocals, per usual, but it's nothing special.

Rating: 5/10

Rating (in my opinion, not based on critical acclaim or general consensus)

1. Run Thru

2. Rollin' Back

3. Golden

4. One Big Holiday

5. Mahgeetah

6. Steam Engine

7. Dancefloors

8. Mahgeetah

9. I Will Sing You Songs

10. Easy Morning Rebel

11. Just One Thing

12. One In the Same

If you read all that for whatever reason, hope you enjoyed, and hope you found some new music! I'll probably get around to doing most of My Morning Jacket's albums eventually because I get so much enjoyment out of revisiting each album in its entirety.

Thanks for reading! Emory

Photo credit: Pitchfork