Nothing short of a bursting ray of sunshine, My Morning Jacket’s latest single “Big Decisions” shows us just how worth it the almost four-year wait since the release of Circuital (2011) has been and sends hopes soaring for the drop of The Waterfall in May.
Sticking to their guns, My Morning Jacket has once again employed the stylings of producer Tucker Martine and ATO records with this release. The Waterfall is to be accompanied by an extensive tour and serves as the Kentucky-based group’s 7th studio album — continuing to expand the scope of their recognition and reputation as one of the most prolific bands of our time.
Starting strong with punctual drum hits and the characteristic ooh’s and ahh’s of frontman Jim James, “Big Decisions” is another installation in a long line of layered tracks with huge bodies of sound that pull the listener into lyrical and instrumental webs. Each transition has its own unique color and the ebb and flow of energy between each part of the track create a sensory landscape that ranges from thoughtful musings to psychedelic exhilaration. Perfect harmony between each of the instruments give this track a sense of finality and cohesion that stems from the group’s transmutable and curated sound. Lines like, “You’re sweet and sexy yeah, but so ruled by fear,” and, “What do you want me to do? / Make all the big decisions for you?” play into themes of duality and the conflicting roles that we play in each other’s lives.
Based on a press release from Jim James, he views this album as a representation of “a weird turning point for the universe… And if you’re looking at a book, there’s a hand flipping the page up and it’s in between the chapter you just finished and the one that’s getting ready to start. That’s kind of the sound of this record, and my life, the sound of the page turning and not being sure what’s coming next.” We are excited to see what will come cascading over these luminescent cliffs in The Waterfall.
Article by Conner Smith