Their first album in four years, The Waterfall is a bracing return for My Morning Jacket, that will reaffirm them in the canon of indie rock. It’s graceful and lyrically robust, while still maintaining the positive vibes of the group. It’s been a while coming, but throughout the album’s run time, it proves a stellar inclusion in the band’s catalogue.
The Waterfall opens with “Believe (Nobody Knows)”, a slow-burner that perfectly encapsulates the ponderous yet optimistic approach of the album. Jim James’ vocals are a highlight here, and throughout the tracklist he delivers nuanced, pitch-perfect deliveries.
The lyrics are also very good here – James takes a tone throughout The Waterfall that is a balance of melancholy and something more upbeat: the lyrical equivalent of a Woody Allen film. Some of the lyrics are informed by the breakup of James’ relationship, and this is touched upon in the poignant “Only Memories Remain”. However the band has always been about the good vibes, and the sombre mood of some of the lyrics doesn’t overpower the uplifting tone of the album as a whole.
The sound is a further step into psychedelia for the group, with bent notes aplenty and some almost Grateful Dead-like instrumentation. Throughout the tone feels very sentimental, perhaps a reflection of James’ reflections on his relationship. “Tropics (Erase Traces)” even veers into prog rock territory with its arpeggiated guitar. In fact, the whole album is fairly ‘proggish’, particularly with the prevalence of songs with alternative titles in parentheses.
The standout track is probably the album’s lead single, “Compound Fracture,” a brilliant classic rock mashup that tills a similar musical field that Adam Granduciel covered so perfectly in War on Drugs’ 2013 LP Lost in the Dream, while there are some Tame Impala influences in the harmonies. “Big Decisions” is a close follow-up, a clever track that explores the idea of being stuck in an unhappy situation but unable to change things.
Not every track can stand on it’s own though, but with the band being so prolific and productive (apparently there is a new album recorded simultaneously with The Waterfall coming soon), there was bound to be some filler, particularly “Spring (Among the Living)”. However, The Waterfall progresses the group’s sound and speaks to their evolution as a band. The Waterfall will be perfect for a Sunday morning drive, a late-night philosophical chat, or even a walk through the forest as the album art seems to suggest.
Review Score: 8.1 out of 10
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