My morning jacket

Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket's fifth studio album, will cast a hypnotic spell over any listener. With haunting vocals, wailing guitar solos and full-out jams, the album blends alternative, country, rock, pop and electronic influences to create an eclectic sound that's nearly impossible to label.

Yet, beyond the sheer seductiveness of the melodies lies a deeper reflection, one that delves into the shortcomings of society. But unlike contemporary rebel yells and political rants, Evil Urges criticizes to inspire. Title track "Evil Urges" rejects traditional ideas about what is "evil" and instead proclaims that evil is what you make it. Lead singer Jim James begs the listener to "dedicate your love to any woman or man/No racial boundary lines, no social subdivisions/If you want it, you can." In "I'm Amazed," the band pairs wonder with confusion, chanting, "I'm amazed at all that has been/I'm amazed at all that will be/I'm amazed at the TV stations/I'm amazed at what they want me to believe."

With such inventive rhythms and intelligent lyrics, Evil Urges is the most accomplished and cohesive record in My Morning Jacket's promising career. Aside from the fact that they rock out, break guitars and put on crowd-raising live performances, My Morning Jacket shows their courage even more so in Evil Urges, where hard-hitting tracks like "Highly Suspicious" are followed by more sensitive songs such as "Thank You Too!" It is precisely this kind of exploration and never straying too far from the band's Kentucky roots that makes the album a success.

Evil Urges is a record that experiments, pushes limits and above all establishes My Morning Jacket as one of the most innovative bands in music. It's one of those albums you put in your car and escape, when you roll down the windows and just drive. It's an album you put on for contemplative nights alone. It's mellow and invigorating. It's motivational. It's going to be stuck in your head-and not in a bad way.