This is the album that they were meant to create. The album's leading up to this were training wheels for what is to come from this band after Z. They capture the very essence of Z in their live shows. I would recommend everyone that is a MMJ fan to please see them live. They get it and you will too.

It's good to see the guys run in a different direction on Z. While it is a true departure from previous work, so was It Still Moves from At Dawn, and the latter from the Tennessee Fire. If anything, My Morning Jacket shows that they are a band that is growing. Especially with the addition of Carl and Bo, the Jacket is reaching into new ground. They have a truly Zeppelin-esque approach to the rock scene: take what you like, and make it your own, in a way that nobody's done it before. Who would've thought that "I Needed It Most" would have preceded "Phone Went West" on At Dawn, and now the tracklisting has "Off the Record" followed by "Into the Woods." A rock-reggae trippy jam session followed by a beautiful demented circus waltz. And the thing is, it works. The album is encapsulating, and it ends as beautifully as it starts. Where we find outrselves thrown in with a mysteriously simple dance groove, we find the album closed with truly "sad, mysterious dance music." Amidst the drum and bass groove, Jim sings in a gentle, subdued manner on "Dondante," but builds and builds until you find that you're singing along with the guitar solo and get torn in two by the chorus. "You had me worried..." Simply reading the words cannot in any way, shape, or form express the sheer distress and frustration of this song. There is a power in this music, and it's one that you will rarely find in the music scene today. I challenge to put on headphones and close your eyes and listen to "Dandante" and not feel moved. I don't care if you hate Jim's voice, or listen to nothing but Slayer - this song will move with an emotional force that few bands today even come close to comprehending. And Jim, through "Dondante" and previous releases like "Steam Engine" and "The Bear," has found a language that transcens mere vowels and consonants, but on a level of pure emotion.… Expand

this is an outstanding display of musical talent, and really shows how versatile the band has become.....

The best Album I've boughten this year. I only wish it were longer. MMJ has been one of my favorite artists for quite a while and they continue to improve with each release.

It is among the best cd's of the year. great songs. great music. high class

A complete surprise. While some of Z sounds like their last and previous albums other songs find Jim James and the boys in new areas all together. It is kind of a weird little CD. "It Still Moves" part 2 would have been great, but I'm glad they're evolving.

best album of 2005. absolutely wonderful... no words to say more...:)

One word to describe this album: concise. MMJ took the overly long songs from their previous albums and cut them down to little bits of perfection.

Great album.

What more can we ask? It's brilliant...good musicanship along with creative song lines.

Is nice. I like.

What a fabulous album!! They have really refined their style since 'It Still Moves'. The same great melodies and choruses are there, but the songs no longer degenerate into 8-minute jam sessions. In fact, I think the average track length has come down by 3 minutes....

Wow ... even if some tracks don't quite work, you can hear the urgency in the lead singer's voice - these guys are for real, or at the very least, they play a good game for 40 minutes. This is my first MMJ album, and I am more than impressed.

This is their best record yet. A little discipline goes a long way.

Great album from one of the greatest live bands EVER.

Great CD, I can listen to it over & over. I find the songs progress nicely from begining to end with great tempo, but i especially love the guitar solos in Laylow & Dondante. Jim James voice is piercing and brilliant the whole cd flows beautifully, the reason I'm not giving it a 10 is at 47 minutes it is a bit short, but it is worth it. This, just like any other cd, is one that you either love or hate, and I love it.… Expand

Different, Excellent!!

Simply amazing album, ...even though the U2ishness of Gideon and Anytime seems a bit out of place.

One of the Best Bands on the planet.

A darker, more electronic feel than their previous albums, but all the better for the sharp production values. Still with plenty to please the old fans, though, and some great air guitar moments. Their best album yet, and one of the best so far this year.

Amazing, gets better and better with each listen. Captures the feel of their live performance better then any of their previous efforts.

this album rocks

A wonderful addition to the MMJ catalog. Whereas the last album (It Still Moves) featured long sweaty jams, this album is a little tighter--although "Lay Low" and "Dondante" have a similar design. This is one of those albums in which every song is great. There is definitely no filler here. Jim James is a genius and an excellent vocalist. If you haven't checked out My Morning Jacket, you need to get to it!… Expand

Fantastic Cd, just skip "into the woods" and you got a solid listen from cover to cover. Dont miss a chance to see these guys live, Amazing!

Reminds me of Little Feat and The Allman Brothers.

I've never been a big fan of the band. There are too many similar sounding bands out there that I think do it better. But with this new album, MMJ's sounds does change dramatically. I've read some unwarranted claims of them souding like Radiohead or that they will be the new American Radiohead. That just is not so. They aren't in the same league. The vocals and the music are much more akin to The Flaming Lips. In fact, parts of this album would be a better follow-up to Yoshimi than the latest offering from Flaming Lips. Still, musically, I enjoyed this CD very much.… Expand

A slice of genius. Just as good as Illinois, metacritics 2005 number 1. But in a different way. There are some fantastic songs on this album with. No filler. However some are more fantastic than others. Into the woods lets you down a little but then you hear the other half of the album and when you think the album could dip it lives up to the first half. I feel guilty giving this 9 and not a 10. Brilliant… Expand

Simply one of the best albums made in the last 10 years.

Easily the best album of the year, if not the decade.

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

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.

One of the best albums of the year. Indie pop mixed with trippy Pink Floydish guitar meandering. I love this CD.

AWESOME ALBUM. JIM JAMES IS AMAZING. similiar to a modern day led zeppelin. check out It Still Moves too!

Album of the year.

great album-likely my favorite of the year, for what it's worth.

Best album of the year

I love it. Overall, I find it very relaxing to listen to, yet some of the parts are soooo rocking. You can cite a million influences for these guys, but they blend them together so wonderfully (although, I don't quite understand where all this Radiohead talk is coming from?)

Since OK Computer alt-rock has been getting closer to a digital age Sgt. Pepper. Although I think the Radiohead comparison amongst 90% of critics with this band is hideously misplaced, Z maybe getting all the more closer to that bull's eye

Great, great album! I enjoy it more with every listen!

This album definitely requires repeated listens. At first, I thought it was only decent and would have given it a 7 probably had I posted the first week that it came out. But, after a week and a half of playing it every day, I can say that while not the best of the year, or even top ten probably, it is very good.

Z is a leaner and cleaner refinement of their trademark sound. MMJ has evolved from alt-country beginnings to a more universal, rootsy indie-rock. They selected only their very best songs for this album and reined in the urge to jam for too long. The result is their most consistent and appealing album to date. It should please longtime fans, and provides a great introduction for newcomers. Undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2005.… Expand

Very infectous - not the same atmospheric, country road sound that I guess made this band a name for itself, but one hell of a lot more fun - you don't have to be in a reflective mood to enjoy it. I might give it a 10 if it grows on me any more than it already has.

Incredible. My Morning Jacket has evolved from a deep alt-country-rock band into a modern-day powerhouse. Z, for the lack of a better word, is perfect. Finally, Jim James's voice is allowed to shine and for the first time, the music and the arrangements are tight and cohesive. My Morning Jacket has successfully mastered the art of melody and they use their awesome powers to transform and lead the mind to wonderful places. Z is incredible. 50 years from now, when someone says "My Morning Jacket", they'll automatically associate them with this modern-day masterpiece that is "Z".… Expand

Very good Jacket LP. They r refining their sound - sounds polished (in a good way). They still sound like N.Young/Flaming Lips in an abstract way, and like those artists they continue to change/evolve.

"Z" is one of the greatest records 2005. Every song on the record is special and full of details. If this album is their "OK Computer", "It Beats 4 U" is their "Karma Police".

About as close to perfection as an album can get. Instantly listenable and amazingly varied. Truly there is a vision here: redemption, heartache, beauty. And somehow these disparate vignettes come together to create a larger picture that can only be understood when the album is considered as a whole. Forget the comparisons other "reviewers" have made. They transcend genres and won't properly fit into the suprisingly narrow construct of "Indie rock." Indeed, MMJ have created something more substantial and substantive than anybody expected, and we're all better off for it.… Expand

Awesome! I had heard of MMJ before, but steered clear to avoid the C&W influence that just veered their big sound away from my true comfort zone, but 'Z' is magnificent. Like Pink Floyd with a sense of humour, Sigur Ros with lyrics and songs and Radiohead without the obnoxious, self-importance. I LOVE Z.

I like to see how an album stands up over time and repeated listens, but its gonna be up there for albums of the year. A great smoky 70's rock rhythm, but the oompah band (also feat M.Ward) on track 6, into the woods detracts from the rest for me. Maybe they wanted to break things up, maybe one of them's an acid freak and they had to let him contribute one track, I dont know, but i'll be setting a playlist to remove track 6.… Expand

Great album from a band with lots of potential. The comparisons to OK Computer are way off base, however. I think this sounds like a more accessible version of The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips. Certain songs are also reminiscent of U2 and The Who. Though, mostly, this is a fine and original LP worth picking up. I don't understand any haters out there. This is the kind of album that makes me happy to be alive.… Expand

If it wasn't for the kitten on fire and baby in a blender I would have given this album a 10. I've been listening to it a lot of times and I don't even mind those lines that much anyway. The album is great. A couple of songs more, of that quality would have been wonderful.

whats with the band bashing.. Steve-o you suck and MMJ rocks my socks off

This album is a much needed breather in today's crap filled air.

I am truly in awe. This album is breaktaking, inspiring and downright gorgeous. Quite frankly, this album could reaffirm your faith in music as the art form that should always take precedence over the revenue generator. If "It Still Moves" was brilliant, then this is exceptional and without a doubt in my mind an album that I will cherish for a long time to come. It's only blemish has nothing to do with the band or the music; it is indeed the record label folks. Once again RCA has implemented copy protection protocols that will not allow you to rip your CD without the use of MS DRM protected WMA's. What if I own an iPod like MILLIONS of us out there you ask? Well, luckily there are ways to circumvent this attrocity of privacy infringement; none if which I can get into here. I digress. Superlative effort gentlemen.… Expand

Wow! I really enjoy this album. A lot. I think the first 5 songs are all really good. The next five are a little inconsistent and number 6 throws the last five out of place a little, but it is, in my opinion, a truely great album.

It had me reaching for the last album at first but after the 11th time I played it through it stuck. I was in the water surfing and I found the album stuck in my head. I have been playing the album in the shop I run.. Everyeyone wants to know what it is? I tell them "you should see them live"!

I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for this album!

A high nine= 9.8

A very solid 9!!I have always loved MMJ's original sound. But this new record is so different than its predecesors. I hear so many different sounds in each song. Off the Record reminds me of an old Replacements song but it is so obviously MMJ. That is so cool. And the keyboards and vocals in Gidion are moving. Any way, I am very proud to be from Louisville.

an astonishing album! Wonderful man Dondante are among my favourites.

amazing

I would like to vote 10 on this release from my recent favorite rock band MMJ, just to offset the 0-2 votes here. Z is obviously not a 0-2, and those who rate it that simply can't appreciate the talent that Jim James and MMJ display. Either that or they grew up in the 70's and are stuck there and anything after that has been a "copy cat". It is true that MMJ borrows alot from 70's rock. In fact many groups borrow from 70's and 80's music nowadays, but few can take the music they love, add their own flair and pull it off. MMJ is one of the few. This CD is an instant classic and will be one of the revered recordings of this decade. The reverb is still persent, but not as glaring in previous efforts, and the newly revamped band rocks out, especially on Anytime and What a Wonderful Man. There are a couple of weaker tracks on the CD, but are overshadowed by the highlights like Gideon and Anytime. MMJ uses keyboards more often and effectively than peviously and the result is a more well rounded sound on two of my personal favorite tracks It Beats 4 U and Wordless Chorus. The CD closes with the epic Dondante. As a sidenote, I caught MMJ at the Avalon in Boston, and they were just as good as on Okonokos. I recommend seing them soon before they headline Amphiteaters. MMJ truly is a great American rock Band.… Expand

I'm not one to over-rate; the more I listen to this album, the more it grows on me. It's incredible that they managed to master so many different types of music on one album, from prog (Dondante) to an almost reggae sound (Off the Record). I hope that this is just the beginning.

One of the best in decade!

This album is a classic.

Numbers 2, 8,9,10 over and over until you have your fill then just let it run in your car full time. The jacket's best work to date. its scary how good this band is.

Maybe it's just me, but I hear some of The Who in here. Great album!

Best album since Pearl Jam VS.(1993).

One of, if not, the best album of the year!!

There aren't any bad songs on this disc, and a few ("Off the Record" and "Knot Comes Loose" leap to mind) are simply gorgeous. There are only a couple real rock songs, and they work pretty well, but the slower tracks are the album's real strength. Great album overall, behind only The National for my favorite of the year so far. I'd have voted it 10 if I hadn't had to spend a a half-hour trying to bypass the copy protection so it could even play properly on my computer (a weird side-effect of Sony/BMG's war with Apple).… Expand

Rarely is there an album this full of majesty and grace. From the beginning of "Wordless Chorus," we know we're in for a ride. "We are the innovators, they are the imitators" indeed--these guys will have plenty of followers. The album snakes through beauties like "It Beats 4 U" and "Gideon", rockers like "What A Wonderful Man" and "Off the Record". Then there's "Dondante"--as dark as Pink Floyd, as ethereal and haunting as Neil Young, this is one of the best songs released on album since...well, since MMJ's own "One Big Holiday" in 2003. This is a band at the top of their game, but we should be seeing the game rise even higher. Having seen them live right after this was released, i can attest to the fact that they are as good of a band as there is out there. These guys are the real deal.… Expand

MMJ has made stellar albums in years past, particularly It Still Moves, but never before have they crafted together sonic elegance and downright southern grittiness so beautifully. Falsettos galore make this truely an awe-inspiring listening experience.

great.

i agree with what jim said below a few comments. this album is like a more excessible, rockier soft bulletin. flaming lips come to mind a lot, but not too much to the point where they sound like a knock off band. z is a good album, one of the best of the year, but no necessarily earth shattering, and though soft bulletin is comparable to ok computer, it's not soft bulletin, just closer to soft bulletin than to ok computer in sound and style.… Collapse

An Allman Brothers for the 21st century. A terrific pop record and how often can you say that?

An amazing work from a band who continues to reinvent itself with every ablum they release.

Best album of the year with Broken Social Scene's BSS. I just can't take it out of my cd player.

Excellent album. One of the top 5 for 2005.

DAMMMN good. Best of the year. Oh boy. Slightly ahead of Wolf Parade... That's all I've got to give. Mike F: that has a negative impact? As a Lips fan: weak.

Absolutely amazing album from start to finish. MMJ draws upon a varied palette of influences yet still remains an undeniably unique force. Yes, I was also suprised to read all the professional reviews and never come across a Flaming Lips comparison - I guess the reviewers thought that was too easy so they'd have to go for something a little less immediate, like a few seconds that resemble Radiohead. I wouldn't mind if more bands tried to sound a little like the Flaming Lips - they're amazing too. "Knot Comes Loose" is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a while, and "Wordless Chorus" is brilliant. Z deserves to be on every year-end list.… Expand

Truly epic. I see and hear a lot of comparisons to Neil Young, the Band, etc. -- classic Americana. But, the songs soar into melodic, fuzzy guitar heaven, reminiscent of great British acts such as James, Coldplay, Radiohead, and Doves.

I just found out about this band, and I have to say that this album is AMAZING! An instant classic.

Z is definitely one of the best albums of 2005, and that says a lot because 2005 was a great year for alternativ music. Each track is so diverse and unique, beautifully composed, with fantastic lyrics. Lay Low is by far my favorite track, an epic tune that desrves praise!

9.5 really. Fantastic album. Nothing left to say!

One of 2005's very best discs. Allow it to grow on you with entire listenings.

This is by far one of the best albums ever! Every song is so unique and wonderful to listen to! It proves that music is an art.

This is their best work!

A great album. Soaring proggy yet rootsy rock, with Jim James' Neil Young-esque falsetto and twirling jamming guitars creating a unique sound. Very good, and their best album to date.

Awesome. Literally inspires awe in your ears, your heart and most importantly your soul. Each song reaches an orgasmic guitar solo crescendo.

would be pretty sweet if they could make the background music of my life.

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!"… Expand

In short, "Z" is a masterpiece that will certainly stand the test of time to these ears. I have listened to this record quite a lot since the day it came out and continue to discover little pieces of ear candy each time I put it on. For the record, I too believe the Flaming Lips comparison an apt one, but that is not intended to imply "Z" is derivative. Like many great works of art "Z" is willing to show its influences, and there are many strewn about in this sprawling, beautiful sonic landscape, but it is in the blending of its influences where "Z" and MMJ find their voice. And, it is a heavenly voice indeed and one that rewards repeated listening. Like my favorite records of all-time, I expect "Z" to be revealing little nuggets of sonic pleasure and lyrical revelation to me for some time to come.… Expand

This is one of my favorite albums. It's simply amazing. Jim Jame's vocals are simply astounding. His voice is beautiful. This is in my top ten greatest rock albums I've ever heard. "Wordless Chorus" is just an amazing starter. You can really hear Jim's voice the best in that song. And "Lay Low", my favorite song on the album and one of my favorite rock songs I've ever heard, has THE greatest guitar solo I've ever heard. It's just awesome. All In All, This is one of my favorite albums to date and it never gets old. A… Expand