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| Evil Urges | 
 enlarge | Artist: My Morning Jacket
Label: Ato Records / Red
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $7.98
You Save: $6.00 (43%)
New (46) Used (16) from $6.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  81 reviews
Sales Rank: 221
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.3 x 5 x 0.3
MPN: 21626
UPC: 880882162627
EAN: 0880882162627
ASIN: B0017PB5TW
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Factory sealed, mint.
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| Tracks:
| • | Evil Urges | | • | Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (Part 1) | | • | Highly Suspicious | | • | I'm Amazed | | • | Thank You Too | | • | Sec Walkin' | | • | Two Halves | | • | Librarian | | • | Look at You | | • | Aluminum Park | | • | Remnants | | • | Smokin From Shootin | | • | Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (Part 2) | | • | Good Intentions |
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My Morning Jacket Photos
Album Description
US LP pressing includes the full CD. All set up to be the band's biggest selling album to date, this album is a genre defying masterpiece that blends their classic sound with soul, r&b, psyche rock & more.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 76 more reviews...
 It's a long way from the silo June 17, 2008
37 out of 61 found this review helpful
I'm not quite sure who said it, or when exactly it was said, or if it was even said at all, but here goes: "the best music has already been made". After a few rounds with My Morning Jacket's latest effort, "Evil Urges", I found comfort in this. There are no more Coltranes, no more Mozarts, and certainly no more My Morning Jackets. Because another My Morning Jacket appears on this record. I'm consistently perplexed by the overreaching need of recording artists to "branch out" and "expand" and recklessly explore other musical styles and even entire genres to pad their resumes. How this band has traveled so far from recording vocals in a converted silo in Kentucky and sending us into atmospheric bliss with epic jams ("Masterplan" and "Steam Engine") and soul-kissed country gems ("Evelyn is not Real"). They now offer cliche-ridden drivel ("Librarian") and cornball hay-seeders ("Sec Walkin"). We also get a dose of funk (yes, it sounds like Prince...news flash: he does it better), three-part harmonies and feedback-reverb-noise clips. Jim James and company have certainly given into their evil urges, so at least they got the title right. Redeemed all too briefly by one of the best songs so far this year, "I'm Amazed", with just the right amount of poignancy and a meaningful, purpose-driven arrangement, and the thoroughly lovely "Thank you Too" (although that one may be headed for Lite FM before too long), this record can arguably be labeled a huge disappointment. One last listen to "Evil Urges", and I'm lunging for my well-worn copy of "It Still Moves", which remains MMJ's masterstroke. As the man (or woman) said: the best music has already been made.
MMJ keeps expanding its musical palette, with great results June 10, 2008
23 out of 30 found this review helpful
In 2005, My Morning Jacket released its commercial and critical breakthrough album "Z". It was a masterpiece in every which way, and I had it as my top album of the year. After taking time off (releasing the seminal "Okonokos" live CD along the way), MMJ finally comes back with its highly anticipated new studio album, three years in the making.
"Evil Urges" (14 tracks, 55 min.) plays like a 3 part musical drama. The first 4 tracks find Jim James and his band continuing the exploratory themes of "Z", with the excellent title track, but also in particular "Highly Suspicious", which reminds of Prince of all people, and a thrilling "I'm Amazed". The middle section of the album retreats to more "traditional" MMJ, with pensive tracks such as the beautiful acoustic "Librarian" which Jim James finds lamenting for a love-wanna. The last third of the album, though, is where the real pay-off comes, starting with a hard charging (and sing-along) "Aluminum Park", and peaking with the 13 min. mini-suite of "Smookin From Shootin" and "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.2", as mesmerizing as anything MMJ has done. Just beautiful.
In all, "Evil Urges" is a fantastic album, although (for me personally) falling *this* short of the astounding album that "Z" was and is. That aside, MMJ is one of the best live acts out there these days. I saw them again at Coachella a few months ago, where they previewed several of the new album tracks (including "Highly Suspicious" and "I'm Amazed") and it was stellar. MMJ is a breath of fresh air in the indie-rock scene. "Evil Urges" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges 6/10 July 29, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
My Morning Jacket has always been ahead of the curve in the Americana country-rock scene, blowing listeners away with their unique combination of psychedelic pop and barn-burning guitar rock on their last album, 2005's Z. Their newest continues this trend of expanding their sound but doesn't quite leave a lasting mark as Z does, instead wasting much of its creative capital on genre expeditions that often fail to pan out.
Evil Urges starts off with mixed results. The title track, a soul-inflected, funky piece with a rollicking second-half guitar solo, opens the album and singer/guitarist Jim James' voice is in fine falsetto form. "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part I," however, is a by-the-numbers retread of an amalgam of songs from Z, mostly "It Beats 4 U," and comes and go with barely anything to attract the listener's attention. It's mediocre and nearly boring, something MMJ has had a tough time being in the past several years.
The worst offense on the record, however, is easily the next track, "Highly Suspicious," a song that attempts to emulate Prince but ends up turning James' powerful voice into a parody of itself. The cartoonish bass chants of "highly suspicious / highly suspicious of you" and the artificial guitar solo turns the song into its own joke, the kind that doesn't know when to quit and quickly becomes annoying.
The rest of the record is a series of musical gems that practically sparkle with the kind of country-fried rock and good ideas that MMJ have become loved for interspersed with tracks that quite rightly pose the question: "what were they thinking?" "I'm Amazing" is a fantastic song, anchored by a simple keyboard beat and propelled by James' transcendent vocals and a storming guitar part. The momentum is squandered, however, by the following "Thank You Too!," a song so earnest it had to have its own exclamation point. It veers dangerously close to soft-rock territory and the words are some of the sappiest MMJ have put to music.
Evil Urges is marred by this inconsistency, and it's definitely a record that requires repeated listens. A song like "Librarian" at first tends to fade into the memory on the first run, but on returning it shows itself to be a beautifully well crafted slow-burner of a song that owes everything to James' yearning delivery.
Other songs, however, like the too-country-for-its-own-good "Look At You," which suffers from a uninteresting melody and an anticlimactic chorus, or the ill-planned shredder "Remnants," which drowns itself in reverb and guitar feedback and unintelligible lyrics, never truly distinguish themselves as anything other than substandard indie-rock fare.
It's hard to criticize a band which has been so consistent for so long, and songs like "Two Halves" and the catchy bar-band rocker "Aluminum Park" prove that My Morning Jacket still have the fire in them. But it is also impossible to ignore the irreparable harm a song like "Highly Suspicious" does to a record, and while the band has succeeded in cutting down their usually jam-band-esque song lengths over the years, the eight-minute long closer "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Part II" contains about four minutes of dispensable baggage. And the totally unnecessary five-second long "Good Intentions" that truly ends the album is inexplicable, to say the least. A good listen in general, but one that is frustratingly uneven and overly indulgent even for a band that is well known for stretching their creative boundaries.
A Strange, Yet Endearing Rock Record! June 10, 2008
7 out of 11 found this review helpful
A few weeks ago I happened across an internet rant by some guy proclaiming Nickelback to be the saviors of rock music. Clearly this guy's knowledge of rock music doesn't really extend past the early nineties, otherwise he would know that Nickelback's testosterone-fueled "music" has nearly nothing in common with the rock music of the 60s and 70s. In my mind, My Morning Jacket have always stayed true to their influences and in doing so, have been carrying the torch of rock music for the better part of a decade. Evil Urges continues this trend, but adds to the group's already wide array of sounds, vibes, and styles.
The album's title track starts things off on the right foot, with lead vocalist Jim James singing the song in an adequate falsetto. He croons, "Evil urges baby/ they're just part of the human way," during the chorus, and I'm not too big to say that I was singing right along (in falsetto, no less) by the time it came back around. The guitars on this song are impressive to say the least, especially in the song's breakdown where the guys just seem to be begging for a spot on the next Guitar Hero game. "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (Part 1)" is a different style entirely, with a whole mess of electronic strings and synths coating the song's goofy lyrics and catchy drumming. James' desire to be touched makes for a really interesting and fun listen, believe it or not, and it's an early standout on the album.
On "Highly Suspicious," James seems to be channeling Prince more than Three Dog Night, again sticking with the falsetto while the other band members add in deep, growling guard dog vocals in the chorus. Calling this song the strangest MMJ song to date is no big feat. That'd be like calling the Sears Tower tall. But for as strange as it is to hear someone sing about a "peanut butter pudding surprise" (which simply has to be a sexual innuendo), I can't help but completely dig this song. It is followed by, "I'm Amazed" which finally has the band sounding like a more familiar version of themselves. The southern rock sound that they have doubtlessly mastered is in full effect here. James sounds like himself, once again, and the song is easily one of the album's best.
"Thank You Too" is very reminiscent of Eagles, and is a pretty touching song. In the chorus James sings, "I want to take you for all that you are/ I know our worlds seem far apart/ I want to see you for all that you do/ I want to thanks you," and lush harmonies swell in over his vocals and really make the song a memorable, enjoyable experience. "Sec Walkin'" is more southern rock, with a lap steel featured prominently. There's nothing particularly notable about the song, but it's not a complete dud either. "Two Halves" leaves a more lasting impression, with a very 50s doo-wop rock feel - sort of like an upbeat "Last Kiss." At about 2 1/2 minutes, I've found myself listening to it repeatedly just so I don't feel cheated.
"Librarian" is about a "simple little bookworm" that Jim James seems to have a fondness for. He seems to think she's more of a temptress than she lets on and weaves a love story between the two of them in his head. The song is simple, and never really builds or evolves beyond the first 30 seconds. Still, I've found myself amused by the lyrical content, so it's hard to hate it entirely. "Look at You" is more classic MMJ, with a soft southern rock feel to it. It's not until "Aluminum Park" that things start to mix back up. With a driving, tinny guitar lead and James' powerful vocal performance, it stands out as one of the better tracks on the album. It reminds me of the chaotic nature of "What a Wonderful Man," which was a favorite of mine on Z. "Remnants" is more Guitar Hero material, but it almost seems out of place on this album because it is so loud and crazy. Do I enjoy it? Absolutely. It just sticks out like a sore thumb when you listen to it in the context of the album. If that doesn't bother you, prepare to be amazed.
The album closes out with what I feel are its two weakest tracks. "Smokin' From Shootin'" drags through its 5 minutes. I spend most of my time waiting for something to happen, and by the time something finally does, I've lost any interest that I may have had. This is one of those songs that probably should have been saved for a B-sides collection. "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (Part 2)" is a driving 8-minute disco behemoth. The first five minutes of the song are all pretty much the same, and it's not until after that that things start building and becoming interesting. It is not a terrible song, but like its predecessor, I just don't see the necessity of its inclusion on the album; especially since there's already a Part 1 that did the job just fine.
Overall, Evil Urges is a fairly impressive album. My Morning Jacket has never been a band afraid of taking risks and trying new things, and songs like "Highly Suspicious" or "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (Part 1)" really show how great this band can be when they are pushing themselves to evolve. On Evil Urges, they successfully create new, exciting sounds, but at the same time they mix them with songs that are more reminiscent of their past successes. The result is an album that feels much more disjointed than their previous work. It lacks the focus and continuity of Z, though it maintains its charm and technical prowess. Evil Urges is far from My Morning Jacket's best album, but with this many solid songs that you can listen to over and over again, it's hard to not love it even a teeny bit.
Key Tracks:
1. "Evil Urges"
2. "Highly Suspicious"
3. "I'm Amazed"
4. "Thank You Too"
5. "Remnants"
7 out of 10 Stars
A couple of weaker tracks early on, but it gets better June 25, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
I am a longtime MMJ fan (since The Tennessee Fire was released), so I'm not a recent convert to MMJ....so it saddens me a little to say that, for the most part, the first three songs on this disc are a little weak. Especially "Highly Suspicious", that's just a terrible song that sounds like a bad Prince cover. The good part is that the songs get better deeper into the album, especially "I'm Amazed", "Sec Walkin", "Look at You" and "Aluminum Park". Overall, this is a MUST HAVE for MMJ fans, but new fans may want to start with "It Still Moves" or "Z" first.
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