Jim James Delivers Eclectic Collection of Covers On ‘Tribute To 2’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

[rating=6.00]

Hit and miss as is Jim James’ Tribute To 2, it is at least a respite from the amorphous likes of last year’s Eternally Even (and to a lesser extent, its 2013 predecessor Regions of Light Sound of God). This solo album leaves the distinct impression James’ reach exceeds his grasp, as only a handful of the tracks sound fully-realized within this ambitious span of material. And the very range of material contained herein, all the way from Irving Berlin to Abbey Lincoln to the Beach Boys (and beyond) suggests the titular leader of My Morning Jacket would benefit greatly from an outside producer to supply guidance on the wisdom of his choices (or the lack thereof).

Oddly, or perhaps not given this man’s well-established eccentricity, the most-high profile material here isn’t necessarily the most stirring. For instance, this rendition of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” suffers in part because of its arrangement, Carl Broemel’s pedal steel and all, is a virtual carbon copy of the track from John Wesley Harding, But that track suffers too because James applies such a tongue-in-cheek attitude. In comparison, he’s serious almost to a fault on Elvis Presley’s “Crying in the Chapel,” but the stark solitude he conjures up on overshadows the religious connotations of the number.

Likewise ambivalent is this reading of “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times.” This patently autobiographical tune of Brian Wilson’s from his landmark work Pet Sounds clearly hits a responsive chord with Jim James, yet perhaps because he’s too involved in the intricate instrumental backing, he doesn’t quite fully embrace the essential sentiment in the song, He certainly does that during this interpretation of Emerson Lake and Palmer’s “Lucky Man,” however, and this take of the prog-rock trio’s most pop-structured of tunes actually makes this album worth owning in and of itself:  Jim James is immediately lost in rapture at the outset of this cut and remains so for its duration.

Less concerned with style than content on his previous covers collection (a 2009 homage to the late George Harrison perhaps not so wisely reissued simultaneously with this new release), the spare simplicity of this rendition of “Wild Honey” (not the Beach Boys’!) hearkens to that project’s approach. Jim’s voice establishes a warm, comforting resonance at the forefront of just acoustic guitar and a skeletal keyboard motif. But, in contrast to James’ direct personal and emotional connection there, “Midnight, The Stars and You” sounds like nothing so much as satire pure and simple and it’s off-putting for that very reason.  The arresting take on Sonny and Cher’s “Baby Don’t Go,” notwithstanding, forsaking piano for acoustic guitar wouldn’t seem to be a good idea for this artist, even if it’s played by MMJ’s Bo Koster: “Love Is the Sweetest Thing” is ironic to a fault as well, in part because the deadpan vocal delivery Jim adopts only furthers the distance between himself and the listener. His reading of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away,” on the other hand, is as honest as it is haunting, in large measure due to the lonesome sound of his finger-picking.

Jim James’ original material for his fiery Tennessee rock and roll band has lacked focus in recent years and the erratic nature of  Tribute To 2 begs the question of whether, through this endeavor, he will regain his creative clarity of mind. Still, if this album ultimately serves as a means to that honorable end (its goofy cover photo aside), we can forgive how slight it is in terms of playing time and substance.

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