"It's been so long since someone challenged me," sings frontman Jim James on the funk-tinged bluesy dance track "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2." His statement seems far from true, considering that My Morning Jacket [ tickets ]'s fifth studio album, "Evil Urges," boldly experiments with a plethora of sounds and styles--challenging the band's expected alt-country jam-psychedelic classification, while simultaneously defying the expectations of their longtime listeners. With "Evil Urges," this Kentucky quintet's burly, southern classic rock has been catapulted into a heady vortex of eclectic funk, electronic noises, twang-heavy ballads, rollicking anthems and melancholy blues. Genre jumping on a single album can be dangerous, but on "Evil Urges" it's fun, refreshing and even admirable. The only disappointment may be that, while these sounds are new to My Morning Jacket, they are definite throwbacks to other musical greats. Vocally, James shows more range than ever--mastering a nearly impossible Prince-like falsetto on the opening track "Evil Urges," and, on what is perhaps the strangest tune, "Highly Suspicious," which involves a Tone Loc '80s back beat and a Muppet-like chorus of commanding, mind-wasted lyrics about peanut butter. If fans can digest the first three tracks, the rest of the album feels more approachable. George Harrison might applaud the optimistic and reminiscent-minded "Two Halves." James Taylor would certainly approve of the tranquil, poetic "Librarian." Even though the music strays into new territory, the band's fondness for The Flaming Lips and Neil Young, which defined My Morning Jacket's earlier reverb-driven sounds, can still be easily traced. Old school My Morning Jacket comes through on the breezy, full-bodied track "I'm Amazed," the bluesy peace-and-love drenched "Look At You" and the fiery classic rock goodness of "Aluminum Park." "Evil Urges" provides enough familiar aspects of My Morning Jacket to not completely divert diehard fans, but certainly proves that the band is willing and ready to contest their reputation.
