My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall
Review By: Bailey Zeigler
Most of the time, bands don’t even last through seven albums. If they do, they have probably been in obscurity for a while because even the most successful solo artists are almost desperate to recapture the interest and appeal they once had. The Waterfall is not one of those cases. In fact, it resonates that the group is very solid and they don’t seem to care what everyone else thinks so long as they can keep playing music at the end of the day. At least, this is my impression from the fact that actually already has album number eight written, recorded, and ready to go.
That isn’t to say the album isn’t good. Trust me, it is. However, it was one of those albums I had to push myself to listen too closely. Nothing really drew me away from whatever I was doing to really focus on the music or lyrics. Whether it’s a Top 40 hit or the most obscure song from a secret mixtape, there has to be some parts that draw me in and make me want to listen. If I feel like I’m forcing myself to listen something, the project doesn’t do as well in my eyes (or ears, in this case). That doesn’t mean it’s bad on any other level. It just doesn’t drum the interest or excitement that music from my favorite artists should. I felt incredibly disconnected from the entire album, which I think says quite a bit.
Musically, this album has a nice mash-up of artsy and top-40 sounds. There are even moments, such as in “Only Memories Remain,” where there are guitar riffs and reverb that make it sound like a ‘50s ballad. The guitar line in “Like a River” is really pleasing to listen to and it is definitely a musical focal point to the song. In fact, “Like a River” sounds like something from a Johnny Cash album.
My favorite song though is “Believe (Nobody Knows).” It has the right energy for the first song on an album and sets the mood for the entire album. It’s the kind of thing I would expect from My Morning Jacket, which is why I was kind of disappointed with the rest of the album. I also believe that it’s never a good idea to start out with your strongest song. On top of that, I feel like the lead single, “Big Decisions” in conjunction with “Believe (Nobody Knows)” set me up for a more rock-based album, but the rest of the album’s songs were much more calmer in comparison. If they weren’t completely calm, then the song was probably out of balance (calm vocals but heavy, energetic drums and guitar). For me, this doesn’t work.
I can’t say whether I was more bored or confused, either way I’m kind of disappointed. There’s nothing in particular about the songs themselves that are bad, but I feel like this album wasn’t entirely sure what direction to go. It’s kind of trippy because I have so many conflicting emotions about this work. I might be missing something, but with a group like this, they probably don’t care because this is something they made and something they feel passionate about. That’s really all that matters.
Overall Rating: 3/5
Recommended Tracks: “Believe (Nobody Knows)” & “Tropics (Erase Traces)”
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