All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Alternative Press

Z is their OK Computer, an album of scope and resonance that lasts far longer than its 40-minute run-time. [Oct 2005, p.162]

100

Mojo

With Z, My Morning Jacket have left their comfort zone, assumed the mantle of firebrands, and delivered a truly momentous work. [Oct 2005, p.96]

100

The Onion (A.V. Club)

It's both rare and marvelous to hear a good band make its first really great album.

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Filter

Z is a great record--more expansive than its predecessors and less tunnel-visioned too. [#17, p.94]

Entertainment Weekly

They evoke the musical essence of various titans while achieving a wholly distinctive sound of their own. [7 Oct 2005, p.73]

E! Online

Z seems like just the beginning of a whole new phase.

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Spin

In spite of all their stony sonic exploration, they never let Z turn into Zzzz. [Oct 2005, p.133]

Uncut

[A] triumphant resurrection. [Nov 2005, p.96]

New Musical Express (NME)

By balancing progression with consolidation, technology with tradition, MMJ have created a work of stunningly expansive ambition. [15 Oct 2005, p.36]

All Music Guide

Z is intuitive, intensely creative, classicist-minded, nearly flawless.

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Trouser Press

This music has the serene lilt of pop and the hope of sentimentality but also the gravity of unconventional responsibility. Rather than roaring, this music sears.

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Prefix Magazine

By trimming thirty minutes off their standard record’s length, the members of My Morning Jacket have paradoxically managed to broaden their sound, cutting the fat to give us ten songs that jive, moon-walk and cock-rock in equal measure.

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Dot Music

A modern day classic.

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Billboard

A bold leap forward. [8 Oct 2005]

Los Angeles Times

"Z" moves away from the more overt Band and "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" references, closer to a convergence of Who-like playfulness and drive with R.E.M. mystery. [2 Oct 2005]

ShakingThrough.net

Yes, it may not hew faithfully to past MMJ records, but its wide-open range perfectly exemplifies the group's adventurous spirit.

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Lost At Sea

MMJ’s musical palate has radically expanded: the reverb and alt-country trappings remain, but they no longer dominate the band’s aesthetic. In nodding to U2, John McLaughlin, Sunny Day Real Estate, Mercury Rev, The Clash and countless other icons through a holistic approach to the pop canon, James and his band mates refuse to let sonics define them.

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Stylus Magazine

It's hard to argue with any album that possesses the virtues Z does: James' voice, one of the most astonishing instruments in rock; a band who, turnover notwithstanding, play like they've been doing this for decades; a sense of delight that often eludes young men with guitars; and songs that let you use the descriptor “rocks” without fear or shame.

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Q Magazine

Z proves they have not lost the magical intimacy that touched 2001's At Dawn and '03's It Still Moves. [Nov 2005, p.127]

Under The Radar

Z is the point of light where My Morning Jacket loses any stereotype or easy niche, and instead becomes a huge, absolutely necessary rock band. [#11, p.108]

No Ripcord

An album you should definitely own, and a band you should definitely watch.

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Magnet

Diehards may crab about these more experimental sounds, but it's hard to find fault with the James gang for not only climbing out of its rut, but also leaving it far behind. [#69, p.104]

Slant Magazine

Dialing down the reverb and allowing more wide-ranging influences to show through, My Morning Jacket fashions a messy, transitory record that's head-over-heels giddy, curiously experimental, and patently weird in equal measure.

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Rolling Stone

There is an emphasis on keyboards, in pulse and architecture, that adds buoyancy and color to James' writing and flatters his keening, stratospheric tenor.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

What you can expect is what makes My Morning Jacket tried and true: bigger-than-life lyrics, classic rock swagger, and the need to move forward.

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Splendid

The first My Morning Jacket whose songs reach the heights to which James's voice aspires.

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Austin Chronicle

Not as big and bright as 2003's It Still Moves, yet with the early-career sprawl edited out, Z's as lovingly worn as a vintage clothing score.

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Pitchfork

So Z abandons the Skynyrdisms of It Still Moves, but that album's lessons remain intact: Compared to those on previous albums, these tracks have more guitar crunch and tighter song structures.

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Blender

The band's warm way with weirdness remains; it's just flashier now. [Oct 2005, p.140]

PopMatters

While parts of previous My Morning Jacket albums sounded sloppy, Z is crisply-produced and markedly more refined, in part due to co-producer (with James) John Leckie.

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The Guardian

Unfortunately, four of the 10 tracks are deeply pedestrian, heartland rock.... Worse, presumably - like Charlotte Church - tired of having the voice of an angel, several songs find Jim James singing with the voice of a brickie.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 193 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

skybar gave it a10:
Perfect album for night drives. Note to half of the commenters: Stop comparing everything to Radiohead. Learn how to appreciate something without namedropping. Learn to do that and you'll be better than half of the so-called music critics out there. Can't you sit and listen to something and appreciate it for what it is? You fools would listen to Berlioz and say, "Oh my. This sounds an awful lot like Beethoven. What a poseur!"

unico gave it a6:
This seems to me pretty much overrated. it doesn't take a lot of plays til it starts to bore you somehow.

Jake gave it a10:
This is simply an incredible album. Every song sounds different but they all come together in a strangely cohesive way. Lay Low, Wordless Chorus, It Beats 4 U and Dondante are genius and you owe it to yourself as a fan of quality music to pick this stellar album up. I'm sure glad I did.

Jomo and The Smoothies gave it a10:
This album is a classic.

Rob V. gave it a10:
Best album of 2005. 4th best of all time. Perfect mix between Pink Floyd, Led Zep and Neil Young, but in a modern jacket.

The crystal cat gave it a10:
would be pretty sweet if they could make the background music of my life.

Damijan G. gave it a10:
One of the best in decade!

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