My Morning Jacket

Any confusion over why My Morning Jacket crossed over in 2005 can be settled with one listen to this two-disc live set, which finds the road monsters with their heads down, playing for themselves. In bringing the critically acclaimed Z to life on stage, Jim James led a new My Morning Jacket line-up all around the world. As evident on Okonokos, a document of the band’s two-night stint at the Fillmore in San Francisco last November, the time together bonded them as musicians and led to some airtight performances. Drawing mostly from Z and It Still Moves, the set list here is still diverse with rowdy rockers shaking hands with long, meditative songs anchored by ambient pulses. There are instances, such as the U2-sized "Gideon” and the Skynard-meets-Sabbath of "One Big Holiday,” where My Morning Jacket’s grandiose sound is overwhelming. It’s the thundering rumble of one of the best and most accessible hard rock bands around reclaiming arena rock. Considering this is a live document, however, there is virtually no interaction between the band and the audience; My Morning Jacket play every song ferociously and the crowd screams their approval but that’s about it. In fact, the songs are mostly performed to the letter, with little variation from their studio renditions. If not for their spirit and the palpable energy of a band greeting a roomful of fans (plus the production quality), there’s little to suggest this is a live record. In one sense, Okonokos lacks the theatricality and spontaneity of classic live records; even though My Morning Jacket sound colossal, it isn’t much of a "show.”