My Morning Jacket: ‘I’m Amazed’

If reputations and rock 'n roll integrity sold albums, Kentucky’s My Morning Jacket would have left Jacko and The Beatles well behind after the release of 1999’s ‘The Tennessee Fire’.

Borrowing heavily from the spirit of southern mavericks Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the band echo the same commitment to music that Young holds so dear today and their sound is full of style and authenticity.

Ballads on themes of love or religion without either a cynical look to the charts or an unhealthy level of cheesiness are few and far between, but with ‘I’m Amazed’ the band have crafted a song that pours over you with its warm glow. Jim James’ vocals sound straight from the Gospel church with their satisfying rising tones that talk of justice and devotion, whilst a simple guitar lick plays over in the background.

Tauntings of soft rock may haunt the fellas in the rock n roll playground, but with the optimum bluesy riffage in the tracks closing stages they manage to cement their rock credentials.

A song of unity and faith is well timed at the beginning of America’s change of Office and - though not taken up as the official song for change as Tony Blair did with, erm, D:REAM’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ - for many this simple track may sum up a few emotions nicely.

Released on 24th November 2008 by Rough Trade.

Written by Carl Williams.