The big news from My Morning Jacket – and the race to preorder that sweet Levitation Edition vinyl variant – is a treat that had Jacket fans everywhere leaping out of bed today. Announcing their self-titled ninth studio album, due out October 22nd on ATO Records, the deft Louisville rockers just unveiled the compelling opening track, “Regularly Scheduled Programming.” The uplifting song builds on a suspenseful pulse, blossoming into an arena-ready anthem with a message as good as its vibes. Through a fun yet thought-provoking video co-directed by Jim James and George Mays, we see the band riding in a convertible full of clutter and excess: cardboard, bubble wrap, the snow of TV static, and the glow of mobile distractions.
Jim James drives while wowing with his signature warm timbre, delivering felicitous lines like “Fresh fiction rewriting how we think / screen time addiction replacing real life and love / erasing forgiveness / bow down to your overlords.” To portray the dark theme, the conscious group acts hilariously out of character: bassist Tom Blankenship litters plastic over his shoulder; guitarist Carl Broemel shops online nonstop; keyboardist Bo Koster snaps duck-lip selfies; drummer Patrick Hallahan stays glued to the TV’s zig-zags like a zombie. The outcome is Jim showing Tom the lush green forest he sees in the rearview mirror, where they all pull over for a hard-rocking show among colorful trees. Visually and musically, “Regularly Scheduled Programming” makes one consider their daily consumption, focus, and footprint in this era of scrolling and screens.
“I hope this album brings people a lot of joy and relief, especially since we’ve all been cooped up for so long,” remarked Jim James. “I know that feeling you get from driving around blasting music you love, or even lying in bed and crying to the music you love. The fact that we’re able to be a part of people’s lives in that way is so magical to us, and it feels really good that we’re still around to keep doing that.”
My Morning Jacket Tracklist
“Regularly Scheduled Programming”
“Love Love Love”
“In Color”
“Least Expected”
“Never In The Real World”
“The Devil’s In The Details”
“Lucky To Be Alive”
“Complex”
“Out Of Range, Pt. 2”
“Penny For Your Thoughts”
“I Never Could Get Enough”
My Morning Jacket album artwork by Robert Beatty
Unbelievably, there are a few tickets remaining for some of My Morning Jacket’s 2021 tour dates, so grab yours if you haven’t already – they won’t last long. With the release of The Waterfall II in July 2020, that’s two albums of new material to potentially hear live, so we can’t wait to see what happens at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium. In the meantime, check out the beautiful video, tracklist, and album artwork for My Morning Jacket here – and make sure to preorder the LP.
Article: Olivia Isenhart
