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Records With TJ – My Morning Jacket Circuital Review

Jon Berrien
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My Morning Jacket – Circuital

I’m choosing this because it was the last album I bought before I left Toledo, OH and has been played multiple times here and there. It’s a perfect connection piece. I have listened to this album in total around 11 times, mostly on the turn-table. Today was the first time in 2 weeks that I’ve listened to it in its entirety. If you stop reading now, leave with this: This album is a nice relaxed listen that can take you on an odd trek if you allow it, most of the time music sounds better in the clouds, and a bit of wisdom; You gotta suck the dick before You can make the rules! Now on to the album…

LISTENING ENJOYMENT                       3 ½

By the time this last spin happened, the album has sank into its own life in my mind. It starts off hard, mellows you out, thumps you in the head a few times then smoothes out for a calm slow finish. I rather enjoy the listens, but think I am growing passed its slow beat. Seems my tempo has been stepped up since being out here in California. It has its stronger parts but as a whole  it plays nicely. Also, if you listen to this album quietly you aren’t even touching its potential.  I had my reciever at 42 to get the effect. Normal listening level is 30, so you gotta step up the volume to really enjoy this thing.

ART & PACKAGING                                    5

It is instantly appealing to me with the giant green eye on the cover. It gets better from there with it being a double LP and the art on the 2 sleeves. On the first it’s a faint white Owl on a flat black sleeve, which the overall material has a coarse feel to it, no gloss. And the second sleeve is black as well, with 5 beings wearing Moon-man masks, white robes with fur sleeves and large prophet type beards. This whole package is neat to have lying around while you’re listening. It gives the music an added feel. Also, in the albums middle, when you unfold it open, it displays pictures taken inside the church they recorded the album in. It is a compilation of photos set up in a My Morning Jacket sort of way, with size differences playing a trick in the mind that is odd. Everything looks normal in the place they put it, only you know the things don’t naturally fit this way. It’s a bang to start off with as far as my excitement goes within the Art & Packaging department, that’s why it gets the highest rating.

VINYL QUALITY                                           5

Its 180 gram Vinyl, the best! Thick, heavy, solid! This section is hopefully short and sweet, but we do have cheap ass bands in the world and some bitches try to short cut with flimsy ass cheap records. It doesn’t capture the warmth and depth that records are for. But maybe they want a cheap feel, who knows. I do know, that MMJ knows their stuff with these quality black beauties.

ALBUM PLAYABILITY                                3

Being that it’s a 2 LP, there’s a fine line between being annoying that the album is split up over 4 sides and being awesome. MMJ rides this line like a wave, and depending my mode I lean towards enjoying it. But it does stretch your annoyance limit. All in all its an active, relaxed  listening album. I have 60% confidence you’ll like 75% of the album!

OVERALL FEEL                                             3 ½

If being in a zoned out space and having obstacles flying in and around your head makes you happy, then this is for you. I listened to this album in quite a few mind frames and enjoyed most of them. After awhile, listening to the slow beat started to slow down my interest in MMJ’s expression of the old church they played in. They make their own way with the sound of their music, not caring if its too far away from the supposed band they are. But I enjoy them for this (their song ‘Highly Suspicious’ is still one of my all time favorites with the drop out guitar solo and all) because they aren’t afraid to have fun with the music. I just hope they grow from here and speed up their emotions, so we can really dance a Victory Dance!



	

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