The Spotlight

By Aaron Richardson

“Evil Urges”
by My Morning Jacket (2008)
My Morning Jacket have been called the Southern rock equivalent of Radiohead. Their latest album, “Evil Urges,” reinforces that analogy soundly.
Having moved from spaced out rock and roll on “It Still Moves,”  their break-through record, to electrified dance beats on “Z,” MMJ have made a smooth melding of the two for their latest effort.
“Evil Urges” is a soulful yet danceable rock and roll record celebrating the pleasures, or urges,  of life on planet earth. The record begins with the title track, a solid melodic groove that MMJ fans will recognize and appreciate.
One of the most exciting things about My Morning Jacket is that they are a fairly young band, which means they still have acres of room to grow.
Songs on “Evil Urges” range from the soulful title track to the beat-heavy dance anthem “Highly Suspicious,” which features some of the most intense bass in recent memory.
From there the album moves back to sanity with “I’m amazed,” a track which could have easily fit in on “It Still Moves.”
This record means that My Morning Jacket have come into their own as a band.