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THE REVIEW
Second album from the band from Louisville, Kentucky. First lineup. 2001.
I let myself be overwhelmed by the flat calm of summer. The empty house, the scorching walls, and the half-closed blinds trying to keep the thermometer below seventy-seven degrees.
I try to hide. Yet, a fine dust of light still seeps in, blurring my vision and plunging me into another dimension.
Still a few technical errors here and there, it's unclear if they were really intentional or simply due to the speed of the live recordings. But you can already sense the enormous talent of frontman Jim James.
A work that today seems somewhat dated on one hand, but on the other, anticipates many small trends that emerged only a decade later, like that whole myriad of American folk singer-songwriters, guitar and voice, neither flesh nor fish.
The keyboards of newcomer Danny Cash are only hinted at.
Some tracks are only briefly touched upon, like “If It Smashes Down,” voice and banjo, beautiful. They probably carried some meaning that for the author, just over twenty, was very important. Thus impossible to remove from the tracklist.
The whole album still seems to be searching for a real band to support James' creativity and sensitivity. In search of their own mojo, in short.
There are also more heavy songs, without a precise identity though. Like “Strangulation!,” which could easily belong to some work of the darker Neil Young, the influence is still very noticeable.
A very long album (seventy-four minutes, almost a double), perhaps too long.
But then at a certain point, something strange happens, a pearl of rare beauty, “Hopefully,” and everything becomes clearer.
Now I understand. I hope everything goes well, and if it doesn’t, I'll try to hold on till the end.
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Summary by Bot
My Morning Jacket's second album 'At Dawn' captures the raw talent of a young Jim James amid an experimental, somewhat unsettled band sound. The 2001 release blends folk rock with echoes of Neil Young's influence, yet feels a bit dated today. While technical imperfections and a lengthy runtime challenge the album, standout tracks like 'Hopefully' reveal its emotional depth and foreshadow later trends in American folk music.Tracklist Lyrics
01 At Dawn Demos (00:00)
08 Honest Man (00:00)
09 X-mas Curtain (00:00)
10 Just Because I Do (00:00)
11 If It Smashes Down (00:00)
12 I Needed It Most (00:00)
13 Way That He Sings (00:00)
15 Chills (00:00)
17 Just Because I Do (00:00)
20 Honest Man (00:00)
22 I Needed It Most (00:00)
23 Lead Me Father (00:00)
25 Strangulation (00:00)
26 Mediate, Try Not To Hate... Love Yer Mate, Like Sex On 8... (00:00)
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky, led by singer-guitarist Jim James. Blending indie rock with psychedelic, southern, and alt‑country elements, they rose with It Still Moves (2003) and Z (2005) and are renowned for expansive live shows captured on Okonokos (2006).09 Reviews
