The title track to My Morning Jacket’s new album Evil Urges, which dropped June 10, might be the greatest pop/rock song since Gnarls Barkley blew our minds with “Crazy.” What makes “Evil Urges” so genius? It’s a singular slab of plastic soul, country, rock and funk that ebbs, flows and soars like a sublime mash up of Bowie, Stones, Prince and Radiohead. Frontman Jim James adopts a Beck-esque falsetto, giving his voice a back alley charm that’s ideal for lusty lines like “It ain’t evil baby, if you ain’t hurting anybody.” The song also manages to work in a little politicking: “dedicate your love to any woman or man.” Did I mention it’s insanely catchy? 4 stars
Click here to listen, or here to buy the download. Better yet, go to an independently-owned local music store like Sound Exchange or Vinyl Fever and buy the CD.
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2008.