Jim James Discusses His Evil Urges
We keep running into people who have heard the new My Morning Jacket, and they keep echoing the same theme: Evil Urges contains some moments that you won't recognize as My Morning Jacket; some people will love it .... others not so much. The sorta twisted Evil of the album's art plays out the pre-release tagline, but we're sure you're done basing impressions on second hand opinions, img files, and live YouTubes. So go to the source: Herein Jim James speaks with Rolling Stone about the sound and inspiration behind five from the forthcoming Urges LP.
We start with the most obvious example of MMJ's envelope pushing: "Highly Suspicious," with its falsetto/power-chord stomp, sounding as if Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box" had spent a few days listening to Prince. But what's it about, Jim?
It's almost like a little mini-play or something, like a mini-skit almost. We tried to sound like angry British police officers on the chorus, that are are beating down your door. They're really "Highly Sus-pi-cious Of You," and they're coming to get you. And the main character of the song is the paranoid freak.
If that's true, Jimmy James, you dudes need to work on your British accent. But here, hear the man tell it for himself...
Head here and learn.
Ahh, messing around with the beat program. You knew that tune was groove first, falsetto second, everything else third. Jim continues his explication of the album's charms with this bit on the title track.
For the snippet on the slightly country "Sec Walkin," Jim highlights one of his picks for "lost classic" albums: Alan Toussaint's Southern Nights. Might wanna fire up the torrent and grab it. (And if you do, might we suggest our new torrent client, Transmission; powerful, simple, with no unnecessary Azureus bloat -- thx Zach).
If you want more of the MMJ master class, RS has JJ talking "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Thank You Too" over there for ya. Maybe that'll hold you over 'til Evil Urges drops, 6/10 via ATO.
Posted at 6:23 PM in Video
Tags: My Morning Jacket
Thank you for going to Rolling Stone's website so we don't have to.
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I'm trying not to be quick to form an opinion.
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God, why do people even bother listening to albums anymore when it's obviously so much easier to form an opinion and dismiss the album 2 months before it comes out. Only a fool would actually listen to the music before forming an opinion on it.
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first reaction to Highly Suspicious was "this is shite" (said in british accent). but i'm starting to dig the guitar solo. opening of Evil Urges is killer (pre-verse).
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I don't think the torrent is out there yet. If it is, I haven't seen it.
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I don't think the torrent is out there yet. If it is, I haven't seen it.
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I don't know why people seemed surprised or shocked that this record is different. Doesn't anybody remember Z? It's a weird fucking record compared to anything else they'd done.
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is anyone else worried that this album is going to be embarrassingly bad compared to the hype? the "experimental" tracks sound silly, and the "straightforward" tracks sound flat. z's probably one of my top ten records of the last five years, but i feel like evil urges is going to go all "be here now" on our asses.
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Has this leaked yet? i need to make decisions for myself and i can´t wait to hear this. someone leak this damn record!
and yes, i am a little nervous about the sound. i think some of the experimental stuff might come off as a joke, like highly suspicious. i think Highly suspicious is pretty cool, but the lyrics are pretty damn bad, especially the peanut butter pudding surprise line. i mean....come on jim james.
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I don't think it has leaked yet.
And last I checked Stereogum, it comes out June 10th.
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I think they meant you should torrent Alan Toussaint's Southern Nights. MMJ hasn't leaked
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jesus christ, you people make me sick.
"Highly suspicious is pretty cool, but the lyrics are pretty damn bad, especially the peanut butter pudding surprise line."
yeah, if it's not spelled out for you, then it must suck.
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Whoa, take it easy, Brandon. You're giving weight to the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.
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Um, highly suspicious is awesome. And NOT just for the guitar work, sheesh. It's good because it's so silly. I'm pretty sure it's meant to be appreciated ironically.
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