Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
My Morning Jacket is, by far, one of the most prolific bands of the 2000s. Other bands have come and gone. Some have fizzled out quickly. Some are barely hanging on a thread. But My Morning Jacket keeps going year after year. The Waterfall II were outtakes from the original Waterfall sessions. But these songs were so good, they resurfaced and were an equally strong collection of songs. Released during the pandemic, The Waterfall II came at a time when music played an even more important role in my life. It was during Covid that I first started Mental Jukebox — which was inspired by great songs like “Feel You”.
I don’t know what else to say about the amazing guitar riff on “Feel You”, except that it feels like a natural extension of Jim James’ vocals. The two parts blend effortlessly. Like my last entry, “Only Memories Remain”, there’s something transcendental about this song. Musically it sits somewhere softly in between the isolating vulnerability of Jeff Buckley and the accessible, but masterful songwriting of Elton John.
“Are we undercover? What's left to see?”