Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket
User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 62
  3. Negative: 6 out of 62

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  1. WarrenX
    Jun 13, 2008
    4
    It's tough to rate a new release of a band when the overarching sound and feel of it is akin to a full-musical makeover or reinvention. Given, I've only intentionally listened to the album once, but if I were to unintentionally listen to any of the songs on the radio, I'd be hard-pressed to recognize the band as My Morning Jacket. Jim James sounds like he's been 50% emasculated - his voice is simply not as powerful and his vocals don't come off with the gravel 'n' syrup sound from previous albums. Likewise, the guitars and percussion sound like they're trying to emulate age-old songs by T. Rex or glam-era Bowie at times. In short, if I had never heard My Morning Jacket before, I might think this album is "neat" or even teetering on good. However, I've admired the band for quite a few years, and although I don't expect MMJ to continually pump out the same music, I'm not ready for a complete raze and rebuild process either. An analogy here of pre/post U2 "Achtung Baby" might be apt - U2 lost a ton of fans with that album and thereafter, but the light at the end of the tunnel is that U2 can still produce decent songs from time to time. If MMJ doesn't return to form on the album following "Evil Urges", then I suppose that's the best I can hope for them as well.… Expand
  2. Jim
    Jun 13, 2008
    4
    Subpar work compared to earlier works.
  3. RomanM.
    Jul 14, 2008
    3
    This band hit on a really cool sound with "It Still Moves" and has abandoned it. There is nothing wrong with trying to test your artistic boundaries. However, the latest efforts (including "Z" which was better but still a step downward) are self-indulgent. The lyrics are brutal, the music seems empty, i.e. songs sound like they are missing beats and notes and James has effectively neutered all the soul that was in his voice for some showmanship. Sorry, but this band can do better. The lyrics are really upsetting. Hackneyed attempts at political relevance.… Expand
  4. Scott
    Jun 12, 2008
    4
    A hugely disappointing release. MMJ's previous albums are superlative while this one falls flat on its face, although there are a few great tracks. However, they do not atone for the dreadfully awful "Highly Suspicious." One listen to the lyric, "Peanut butter pudding surprise," in the context of its throwback to the 80s (in a bad way) context made me consider taking the charmingly packaged CD back for a refund.… Expand
  5. BarryJorden
    Jun 12, 2008
    2
    Very disappointing. Hoping for better with the next album.
  6. deeznuts
    Jun 12, 2008
    4
    After their masterpiece Z, this is a huge disappointment. I listened to it a few times, and have no desire to listen to it again.
  7. samh
    Jun 17, 2008
    1
    This is the far and away the worst thing I've heard in years. Aping Prince, Peaches & Herb and Christopher Cross does not make this their most comprehensive album yet, but rather their most reprehensible. I still can't wrap my head around how absolutely atrocious "Highly Suspicious" is, though it's the only track that stands out in a bleary sea of muddled soft pop. Jim James' incomparable voice has long been the most appealing aspect of this band and it's been flushed in favor of half-hearted falsetto for much of the album. Do not listen to this disc without a jug of ear bleach nearby.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 31
  3. Negative: 2 out of 31
  1. Drowned In Sound
    60
    Where the separate parts of the first half didn't gel – the chopping and changing of different styles too much to take in, perhaps, in too short a period--the second part is much easier to handle, and whilst the strong finish isn't enough to stop it falling short of "Z," Evil Urges does find its own place given time.
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  2. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    The cumulative result is an exhilarating, bone-deep experience--a true album, built for sustained listening.
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  3. Rolling Stone
    80
    Evil Urges explodes the band's sound with the same kind of creative leap that Wilco took on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and Radiohead took on "Kid A."
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