My Morning Jacket

After recently reading the NPR article about breaking up with your favorite bands, I started thinking about this idea. Not just about bands that I have stopped listening to over the years, Interpol, I’m looking at you. But bands that I find myself trying with again and again over the years.

Today My Morning Jacket released their new album Circuital, which was billed as a return to form.

I remember in 2003 when I first heard the band. I was a few albums late on the bandwagon, but picked up It Still Moves at the Eastern Washington University book store. I’d recently began my foray into indie art and snobbery, and had read about this band. I figured what the hell, I don’t need more shit cafeteria food, I’ll just transfer some of that money over and buy some records.

When I got back to my tiny dorm room, I remember placing the cd in my boom box and preparing to have my world rocked. I made it about five songs in before turning it off and feeling disappointed.

The album was different from what I’d previously experienced. It had a twang that I couldn’t get past. Years of being spoon-fed uninteresting albums that required no effort on my part had led me to feeling left down. So I took the disc out, placed it respectfully in its case and set it aside.

My relationship with this album, and ultimately the band, is much like those I’ve had with a number of girls. Some mutual friends start telling me how beautiful it is. That I should really give it another shot- try looking at it from a different angle. After being pressured, I conceded. I played that album for hours on end attempting to see in it what my friends had. Then, eventually, it all clicked. The prolonged jams no longer felt unnecessary, I was now able to see that there was a story in the prolonged whaling and screeching (to wax misogyny, I’ll equate this to listening to a girl that is pretty, but initially uninteresting, talk). I was starting to see some real value here, and I slowly felt my heart soften, and I was considering a long-term relationship with My Morning Jacket.

Two years later Z was released, and I knew that we belonged together. In retrospect, still using the relationship analogy, I should have been smarter and been able to tell how you were leaving me hints in your title. That Z was more than a coincidental reference to an end. You were starting to outgrow me. Questioning how much longer you should play to my ears. I’d spent so much time telling you how pretty you were, how happy you made me, that naturally, you started looking for bigger and better things.

I was strung along for three years with nothing but memories keeping us afloat. Sure, we’d meet up now and again, and have some real kicks based in nostalgia. I’d burn a few bucks on you at the bar, choosing to play I Will Sing You Songs on the jukebox because I felt like at nine minutes and eighteen seconds I was getting some real value.

Then, in 2008, you really laid into me. Evil Urges came out, and again, your title said it all. You were moving on. All of the intimate moments we’d spent together, magnified by the vast expanse of reverb soaked vocals that made the songs feel as if they were for my ears only, you ditched me for polish and falsetto. You’d ditched me for what you called progress. You were trying new things.

I wanted to be supportive, encouraged growth, respected your need to do what you felt necessary, but we were growing apart. You were more concerned with spending time whispering in the ears of less interesting, but prettier and wealthier, men. I felt pretty broken up, and eventually we parted ways. You were no longer mine, so I stopped speaking of you. No longer told friends about you with pride in my voice.

Sure, I would check in every now and again, hoping you’d changed your mind and come back to your senses. But was just met with a feeling of artificiality and distance.

It’s been another three years, and you’re back. You say you’re sorry and admit the error of your ways. Because of our history, I agree to take you back. I’m listening to Circuital, but this time, I didn’t spend my hard earned money. There will be no more dates at the bar: just you, me, cheap pints and a handful of strangers, no, we’ll stay in.

There are things here that remind me of our past. There are times when I catch myself feeling a love for you again, but at the end of the day, it feels cheap. I feel like you came back because of the rejection that came at the hand of your “ambitions”. You’re settling. We’re simply circling the wagons in an attempt to get back to where we once were. But, truth be told, I never wanted you back- I just wish you’d never left.

Revival

I've decided to reactivate this blog, as I feel that the consistent writing is good for me. I enjoy having projects, and a Nicholas Alexander and I have talked about, it helps distract us from real problems.

I won't be using it as a log of daily happenings any longer, as my daily life is of little interest to anyone, including myself. I'm okay with that, but honestly, who wants to read about a dude going to work a job that fails to pay the bills? Not I, said the person sitting at the keyboard. And since I don't want to read about it, I will not be writing about it.

Now that you are aware of what I won't be writing about, I will briefly outline what I will be filling this space with. I plan on writing about music, both bigger releases as well as the recordings of myself and my friends (with their blessing only). I will write about books that I'm reading and movies that I'm watching. I will occasionally share short stories, if/when I stop doing my best J.D. Salinger impression. If any of my friends have any art that they wish to share, i.e. photography, paintings, comics (Nic), I will do some repostings of their work with some of my personal response to it.

If there is anyone with a desire to share something of their own, just ask, and I'd be more than happy to have guest posts.

I understand that the internet is littered with blogs such as this, and that a large readership is unlikely, but I'm not concerned with that. I have never experienced an audience for any of my works and haven't let that disuade me from continuing, so I don't see why this should be any different.

The first real post will come sometime later this evening or early tomorrow.