At Dawn

My Morning Jacket's second album, AT DAWN, builds on the twangy rock of THE TENNESSEE FIRE, while expanding the Kentucky band's sound in numerous directions. The opening title track eases into a dreamy refrain that recalls shoegazer groups of the 1990s, while the following track, "Lowdown", floats along on chiming guitars and a poppy '60s-inspired vibe. "Phone Went West" features an oddly fitting light reggae feel, which is completely contrasted by the fierce Sabbath-like guitar riffs on "Strangulation". Remaining true to the band's Southern roots, MMJ's down-home aesthetic is showcased on the extended blues jam "Honest Man" and Skynyrd-esque "Just Because I Do". Throughout the album and its many moods, the common thread is the distinctive, keening voice of frontman Jim James, as best featured on the gorgeously spare "Bermuda Highway". An accomplished and dynamic record, AT DAWN lays down the blueprint for My Morning Jacket's breakthrough album, IT STILL MOVES.

Spin (1/02, p.109)
- "...Auteurist Jim James channels a fondness for Neil Young into a burned-out basement vision of 21st-century dread and reverb-drenched heartache..."

Mojo (4/03, p.96)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...An absolute treat....The sound is old, but the hurt is fresh. Perhaps that is the essence of country..."

No Depression (7-8/01, p.127)
- "...A highly rewarding album..."

Uncut (3/03, p.97)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...At its epicentre is James' remarkable delivery, as oddly beautiful as The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne..."

CMJ (7/2/01, p.22)
- "...Throbs with lonesome-walk-home-on-a-gravel-road emotion....Don't fight the desire to lay back on the grass and stare at the sky..."