If any of you My Morning Jacket fans were expecting more of the same from your favorite frontman’s new record, there’s one hell of a surprise in store for you. Jim James’ first solo full-length, Regions of Light and Sound of God, is a heady, exploratory deluge that envelops the listener in an eclectic embrace. Over the course of the album, James incorporates everything from the romantic sway of a string quartet (“Actress”), to ’50s doo-wop sensibilities (“A New Life”), to an eerie, strident brass section (“All Is Forgiven”), to the familiar strums of an acoustic guitar (“God’s Love to Deliver”). One gets the sense that the studio was a blank canvas for James, because the genres, sounds, and instrumentations explored on Regions of Light span a multitude of sonic flavors. It’s a triumphant, unpredictable work that measures up to the high expectations set for an esteemed talent like James.
Jim James | Regions of Light and Sound of God, $7.99, amazon.com
By Hilary Hughes
This review appears in the Feb/Mar 2013 issue of BUST Magazine with Jason Schwartzman. Subscribe now.
