After a couple of prolific decades and involvement in collaborative projects like Monsters of Folk and the New Multitudes Woody Guthrie album last year, it seemed almost impossible that My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James had not released a solo record until now. Regions of Light and Sound of God balances psychedelia, soul music, and synthetic textures to create a brief collection of excellent and innovative songs.
James has always been something of a showman, and I couldn’t help by chuckle at the single drum and descending piano that opens the album over what sounds like vinyl crackle—the effect is something like the onset of a class black and white film. Opener “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” is driven by bare piano chords as James fires rapid rhymes in choppy bursts until straightforward drums kick in a couple minutes in. The song is a meditation on the role of technology in contemporary society, unveiling metaphors such as “We got our wires all crossed/ The tubes are all tied.” However, James seems content to succumb to state of the art production throughout the album, and does so to great effect.
“Now Til Now” follows with an electronic take on 60s soul that could feature a verse by Kanye West. The song is one of the album’s best cuts, embodying everything that the record aims to achieve as James croons over crisp bass lines, hi-hat and snare, and skittering electronic hooks. The album’s second single, “A New Life,” might be called the album’s centerpiece, beginning as a simple, straightforward song, swelling to epic proportions with a dance-inducing beat and brass elements that recall 50s pop.
“Of the Mother Again” exemplifies the blending of soul and psychedelia, and I find it almost impossible to aurally pin down all the layers of the song—soft strings, twinkling guitars and dreamy xylophone. From here the Album moves into “Actress” with swelling orchestral elements that contrast with darkly distorted guitar lines recall 70s Bowie. The track is the least cohesive so far, but we never expected that James would color inside the lines. In fact, he then moves in a completely different direction, closing the album with the two incredibly hypnotic tracks “All is Forgiven” and “God’s Love to Deliver.”
With titles like these, it’s simply impossible to ignore the religious influence on the album, and James certainly seems devout. However, there’s a vibe of mysticism that permeates the songs (and the man), and leads one to believe that James might be stretching the notion of God. But that’s just a guess. What we don’t have to guess about is James’ prowess at song craft as he delivers a solid and ambitious first solo album.
