'The Waterfall II': My Morning Jacket's latest offering was recorded live, features outtakes from previous album
My Morning Jacket is finally back after five long years with 'The Waterfall II', the follow-up to their 2015 album 'The Waterfall I' and it's a record that is giving fans exactly what they have desperately needed during these times: something to look forward to. Following their 'Waterfall' tour, MMJ got pretty quiet, opting to take some time off and only doing a handful of shows in the years after. They got so quiet, in fact, that their sporadic shows were being called 'reunion gigs'. So when MMJ frontman and vocalist Jim James revealed recently that the band had a whole album ready for release, naturally, it drove fans wild with anticipation. And now that the album has dropped, they can revel in the beauty that is 'The Waterfall II'. But just as a heads up for fans that might be expecting entirely new material: this isn't exactly a new album. It is a collection of tracks built from the outtakes of 'The Waterfall I' that were essentially repurposed and shaped into a new record.
Speaking about the decision to put this album out after their hiatus, James shared in a recent episode of 'Kyle Meredith with...' that one of their gigs last year left them feeling "re-energized" and ready to get back to creating again. "So we went in the studio, and we have a whole new record that we’re finishing. A completely new record." They recorded the whole album live but soon found themselves grappling with the reality that they might not get to play it live anytime soon. James shared, "So now that’s part of the puzzle that everybody’s trying to figure out. The new album is done, but whenever we release it, we want to play shows for it. Obviously, it’s like we want to make it a thing because it’s so exciting to have these new songs and want to play them live. We recorded them live. It was just the five of us, literally nobody else. Just the five of us and we played, and it was so exciting and fun."
But MMJ are not unaware of the sociopolitical issues and ongoing pandemic that are, essentially, the reason the music industry is at a standstill, at least as far as live shows are concerned. One of the songs on the record, 'Magic Bullet', was written about a mass shooting. But, as James shared, the true tragedy of songs like this one is the fact that they apply to so many instances of gun violence that it's hard to keep track. "What a sad fact when there are so many episodes of gun violence that you can’t even remember which one you wrote the song about," he shared. Adding that the track was a "plea… that we can find some other way around this,” the singer also discussed the gun debate that has plagued America for decades.
One of the more recent cases of gun violence, that of Breonna Taylor, also ties into the debate around police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. James called Taylor's murder "heartbreakingly insane," adding that, "The fact that more of our leaders, even from the police, aren’t demanding justice for this woman who was killed in her own home, this innocent person, it’s just baffling to me." He continued, "I know it’s not simple. I know that restructuring the government and eradicating systemic racism and White supremacy, those aren’t overnight things. But I think people want to hear more passion from our leaders, more of a resolve saying, ‘We will figure this out. We will get justice.'" He also called for a demilitarization of the police and encouraged more rational conversation to address police brutality.
And while not directly naming names, James also called out US President Donald Trump, stating, "I really feel like the politicians have done such a good job of pitting us against each other — especially this current administration. Our current president is a master at divide and conquer, and that can’t be understated. People need to realize that. We aren’t each other’s enemies. We have been manipulated into this divide and conquer strategy that’s working to well on us. It’s up to all of us to really break out from that." This, essentially, highlights the heart of what MMJ's latest record is really about: it's a commentary on the world and our place in it but it's also a call to action and a push for unity and change. And it's an album that fans can't help but adore.
One fan tweeted right after album's drop, "The brilliant @mymorningjacket have just released The Waterfall II. If it's even half as good as The Waterfall then we're in for a treat. It was one of the best albums of 2015, an absolute beaut." They certainly won't be disappointed, especially if their fellow fans' reactions are anything to go by. "After five long years, My Morning Jacket are back with The Waterfall II. Cracking album. Wasted is the highlight of the lot, for me. So glad that Jim James and the gang are back," shared a fan. "So excited by the arrival of new @MyMorningJacket album #thewaterfall2. #MMJ was the first proper gig I saw with my wife. Such a memorable night, the band has been with us ever since. #Vinyl preordered. Thanks for the music," tweeted another. Lyric Magazine's review called the album "dream-like" and "tranquil," highlighting its "joyfulness & bliss."
One fan tweeted, "Unsurprising, but My Morning Jacket is still incredible." Another said, "New album is [fire]...can’t imagine all that went into it especially in these ‘trying times’ everyone is in now.. thanks TB.. and thank YOU My Morning Jacket.. #JustwhatTheDoctorOrdered #OnRepeat." Another one shared: "Staying up wayyy too late listening to the new My Morning Jacket." "My Morning Jacket putting out a new record means I can finally die happy," said another fan. Not all are ready to allow the music to take them away gently, however, as one fan shared, "Dear lord I cannot wait for the day I can see this my morning jacket album live."
A few fans weren't as thoroughly impressed, however. One tweet read, "I thought THE WATERFALL II on a first listen was fine, doesn’t hit any of the kind of wide-eyed magic of the first which was a bummer." The user added, however, that the track 'The First Time' totally "nails it". And for others, the album just isn't enough. One fan shared, "If y’all can release an excellent album every day until we have a vaccine we’d truly appreciate it, no pressure."