At Dawn

It took a while for me to "get" My Morning Jacket. But now that I finally figured out that Jim James is the new archangel of American rock, I've been working my way backwards through their studio work to discover what gems have yet to shine through my ears and tickle the musical capacitors in my brain.With some bands, looking into the past can be a hazardous course. But the MMJ catalog proves to be an intriguing, if inconsistent, study in songwriting development with very few bumps in the road.At Dawn is perhaps one of the band's most underrated albums (although the reviewers here seem to share my enthusiasm), but the fact is it may be one of the best examples of their shape shifting between dramatic, acoustic Americana gems and scorching, southern-tinged, country-fried rock. This is perhaps best exemplified by the tracks that make up the core of this disc -- Bermuda Highway, Honest Man, and Xmas Curtain -- starting out with a gentle fireside sing-a-long then rising to a mountainous electric anthem and then setting back into a misty melodic valley. Other personal favorites include the bluesy gait of Death is My Sleazy Pay and the reggae-infused lilt of Phone Went West.While Z remains my far and away favorites, and Evil Urges is quickly becoming a staple in my summertime driving rotation, At Dawn is quickly becoming the disc I reach for when I need a bit of bona fide musical spirituality. This is a highly recommended listen for anyone looking to wrap their wings further around this impressive band of musicians.

I was thinking just the other day which is my favourite MMJ album - At Dawn or It Still Moves. They are both similar, and it's like comparing Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed, or Rubber Soul and Resolver - completely unnecessary when you can just have both of them. Both the 2nd and 3rd MMJ full-lengths are most definitely "full length"; about 70 minutes apiece, with mostly slow or mid-tempo country epic tracks that spread well past 5-6 minutes each. Jim James makes perfect use of his wonderful voice on both albums, and the band cooks on each. I think that It Still Moves probably gets the nod due to the couple of faster-paced tracks included (esp. "One Big Holiday"). No matter how much I love beautiful masterpieces such as "Hopefully", "Death Is The Easy Way", "I Needed It Most" and "If It Smashes Down", I can't help but notice that At Dawn is pretty much one very long, slow (but wonderful) ballad after another. "Lowdown" and "X-Mas Curtain" somewhat liven the program up, and both are equally as fantastic as the ballads. Who am I kidding? I don't have a bad word to say about this album, or It Still Moves. And I barely have a bad word to say about Z, either. I really, really love this band.

In my other review of, "It Still Moves," I described MMJ as an alt-country, new age version of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, more of the Neil Young influence. "I Will Sing You Songs," "Rollin' Back," and "Steam Engine," are three of the most beautiful songs I've heard.The more I have listened to "At Dawn," the more I've become convinced this is a better album. "At Dawn," "Death Is The Easy Way, and "I Needed It Most," are hauntingly beautiful songs."The Way That He Sings, and "Phone Went West," are more upbeat songs with great hooks.MMJ seems to be one of the those bands that people either love or hate. They make, in my opinion, some of the best and most emotional songs I've heard in years and I like music of all genres.If you hear a few of their songs and enjoy them, it's safe to say you'll be hooked on MMJ.

My Morning Jacket are just an incredible band. Although I wasn't a fan of their first album this one takes GIANT leaps forward from that and begins to show what they were to become. That being said after this they take even more great leaps forward with their next album and from there are continually amazing. If this is your first foray into checking out the band I would recommend starting with anything from It Still Moves and later. If you love that stuff you might start heading back to this but I think this album is for big fans of My Morning Jacket not casual.

My Morning Jacket is one of those bands that has to frustrate musicians that nowadays are trying to create something memorable. MMJ has a tendency to sound like they got pulled out of some gorgeous shroom trip from the 70's and eventhough some people might mind the ridiculous levels of echo your eardrums will be swimming in, I can't but enjoy this album more and more with every listen. Great vocals, solid hooks, good musicianship and best of all, a live band that can deliver on their album's promise. And after listening to the beautiful musical sunrise that is At Dawn, you won't want to fall asleep ever again.

Great album. I can't decide if this or It Still Moves is their best album to date. So many great songs "lowdown", "just because I do", "it smashes down", "phone went west", "I needed it most". Mostly an acoustic minimal music style. Jim and mahgeetah are the highlights on this album and I love that. If you like Tennessee Fire you should like this one as they are very similar in style and sound. I would just say that the recording sounds better on At Dawn than Tennessee Fire.

This is a rare gem of a cd. It is raw, earthy, and so well put together, it could be pure genius. In a list of perfect albums here is how I would rate it:1. U2 - The Joshua Tree2. Radiohead - ok COMPUTER3. Dire Straits - Brothers in arms4. My Morning Jacket - At Dawn5. Neil Young - Harvest MoonAs you can see this is a powerful statement, and if you agree with my 1,2,3,&5,you really need to check out #4.

Man is this good. Some of the most musical material I have heard. So many different styles and colors expertly and soulfully brought together, often in the same song.