Initially riding to the mainstream on the wave that carried fellow alternative country acts like Wilco and Bright Eyes to the public’s ears, My Morning Jacket have, through their past couple albums, deftly eluded sonic type casting.

Front man and chief songwriter Jim James is amusingly agile at connecting weird imagery to lyrical snippets meditating on love, innocence, and the other usual suspects of the country canon. And it is this very adept sense of juxtaposition that shines brilliantly on MMJ’s newest album, Evil Urges.

But let’s back up a bit. MORE »