If you dig layers of sustained synth chords, Jim James’s Eternally Even is right up your alley. Unfortunately, I don’t live in that neighborhood at the moment. In his second solo studio album, My Morning Jacket’s front-man sets off on a psychedelic journey through funky basslines and breathy crooning with the intention of capturing a sort of indie soul. That’s really all it is though. The tracks don’t take enough turns. There is continuity in them, but it’s basically just a wash of the same synth tones laid over less than complex chord progressions. The lyrics aren’t particularly captivating as James’s vocals are suppressed by the mist of the synths, but when you do get a chance to hear what he has to say, he’s often just repeating the track title over and over.
Most of the album can be summed up in the first track, “Hide In Plain Sight”. Listen to that, and if you enjoy it, you’ll probably enjoy the whole album. If not, I’d still recommend checking out back-to-back tracks, “True Nature” and “In The Moment”. While these tracks cohere to the indie synth psychedelia, they get funkier. “True Nature” opens with a horn throwback to the jazzy restlessness of the beat generation then slips into a seductive guitar nod to the bluesy sexiness of a dive-bar. “In The Moment” introduces the first truly interesting key play on the album which lays against the funkiest bass line. The track builds and eventually captures the albums true aim: sustaining in that realm of psychedelic soul layered out by competing instrumentation, but it is the trumpet solo in the fade that steals the show. These two tracks really give the album the extra affectations needed to make it all worth the listen. I wasn’t impressed with much else on the album, but you should listen to it regardless; you might love it!
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