Is, the tenth album by Louisville’s My Morning Jacket, continues the band’s pattern of inspired yet accessible rock music. The five-piece band has been unchanged since 2005’s Z, anchored by founding singer/guitarist Jim James and bassist Tom Blankenship, along with longtime guitarist Carl Broemel, drummer Patrick Hallahan, and keyboardist Bo Koste. Though every other My Morning Jacket album has been self-produced, the band teamed with famed producer Brendan O’Brien this time.
Many of the songs piece together audio from demos James recorded in his home studio or rework material the band has been working on for a while. The album opener, “Out in the Open,” takes a fluttering ukulele lick James wrote during the pandemic and pairs it with electric guitars and Hallahan’s skittering dance beat. “Half a Lifetime” began as a slow anthem for the Z sessions and was turned into upbeat pop rock with piercing angular riffs.
Is is mostly an upbeat rock & roll album with deceptive simplicity. Each song has layers that build upon each other, with little guitar flourishes or pieces of percussion adding nuance to riffs that draw from funk, southern rock, and psychedelic rock. The ultra-funky guitar riffs in “Squid Ink” serve as a call-and-response to James’s vocals in the verses and harmonize with them in the chorus. “Why can’t I forget your face?” James asks, trying to rise above the negativity people project. That song would have the album’s best riffs if it weren’t followed by the insanely catchy “Die For It.”
On the softer side, “I Can Hear Your Love” is a retro pop crooner reminiscent of Bruce Channel. “Time Waited” is My Morning Jacket in top power ballad form. “The clock ticks faster every year, but time waited for you and me,” James croons over a piano sample from an old Buddy Emmons song. In the chorus, three guitars raise the stakes, with one playing distorted power chords, another playing a twangy electric lick, and a 12-string acoustic adding a velvety layer underneath.
Is doesn’t have the same eclectic range as something like Z or The Waterfall, but it’s a solid album with ten captivating songs and no missteps. From the danceable groove rock of “Everyday Magic” to the propulsive banger “Lemme Know,” everything works. They’re songs that will sound great at My Morning Jacket’s energetic live shows while also rewarding careful listening with a good pair of headphones. As James sings, “We’ve got forever, dear. Take all the time you need.”
