Every new MMJ album is something wonderfully different. They always seem to have a direction to push in that they haven’t tried before, some creative boundary ready to be tempted by Jim James’ insatiable muse. The Waterfall continues that tradition but it’s also perhaps their most cohesive album since their 2006 breakthrough Z.

Although I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s their best in that time. Evil Urges has its haters but there are some ripping tracks on that one. Plus I’m a huge fan of Circuital. To be fair, though, I’m a huge fan of everything this band does and ranking and comparing the albums of one of the premier large-scale rock bands of this era is a pointless task. These guys are always on point.

The Waterfall finds MMJ working at their most spiritual and unfiltered. Yet they’ve also avoided the trap that they’ve fallen into in the past of indulging themselves. For the first time since… maybe ever?... there isn’t that one song that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the set. Sometimes that odd song out was some wonderful peculiarity, like Off The Record on Z, other times not so much.

There’s an element of synth here that’s only been hinted at in the past (but came through in a few loose singles over the last couple years – their contribution to that Jason Molina tribute is an example) as well as incorporating elements of soul and prog rock into their patented brand of Americana-driven rock and roll. To be honest though, when a band is so good that they can draw from that many different areas so seamlessly, it’s not even worth pointing out. They can take a song where it needs to go, genres and limitations are meaningless.

But it’s not an easy record to get a grasp on with the first listen. It’s darker and more brooding than this band usually goes, kinda understandable given it was written largely as Jim James recovered from the general mental/physical wear and tear of years of living on the road. Plus there’s proper heartache in there, which is new. So it’s also not surprising that many of these tunes have a real Henry David Thoreau feel to them. One man and a guitar in a cabin in the woods.

‘Believe (Nobody Knows)’ is one of the more instantly catchy tunes, making for a great opener. MMJ have never been scared of the grandiose, here they take that and apply it to the wonders of nature. Rustic visions painted as epic productions. James lets his phrasing lag just a little and it really draws out the earnestness of the lyrics.

‘Compound Fracture’ got a nice workout on Fallon right before the album was released, it’s a funkier tune, taking the album in a different direction but not like what follows. ‘Like A River’ is trippy and meditative. A spare kick drums gives it some grounding 40 secs in, only for some extra layered vocals and strings to really sweep it away beyond where you’re willing to go with it on first listen. Don’t freak out, you’ll come around to it eventually and when you do it’s absolutely gorgeous.

‘In Its Infancy (The Waterfall)’ is another song that initially seems like a band workout until you’ve gotten through it a few times and realised that it’s actually pretty outstanding. After two up-tempo kickers to start, ‘The Waterfall’ gets heavy fast. You could split ‘Infancy’ finely into about four little suites: The ‘Again’ section, the ‘Waterfall’ section, the ‘Stopping the Waterfall’ section and the ‘Infancy’ section. The way the song blends back and forth between them all is incredible, what a mastery of talent. Rock and roll arranged as like jazz. ‘In Its Infancy’ is gonna tear the house down in concert, it’s such a complex, spiritual odyssey of a song.

But then immediately following that, MMJ go quiet and acoustic with a sweet Jim James ballad that harks back to some of the prettier songs from their first couple albums, as well as the odd similar thing on their later albums. There’s usually at least one of these: Knot Comes Loose, Sec Walkin’ and Wonderful (The Way I Feel) spring to mind. And ‘Get The Point’ is right up there, the difference is this is a kiss-off breakup song. A beautiful one at that too, James’ voice deserves all the varied opportunities to shine.

And of course the rest of the band absolutely shine. When drummer Patrick Hallahan (a childhood friend of James) joined the band, that was the point they went from and indie group to a fully-fledged Rock Band. Two Tone Tommy Blankenship is a superb bassist, he gets a real workout on ‘Big Decisions’. Bo Koster’s keys are always tasty and necessary, while Carl Broemel is an underrated genius. His versatility allows them to reach for the stars in the same way that John Paul Jones’ did back in the day for Led Zeppelin. And he’ll shred your eyelids with his soloing too.

There are only 10 tracks to The Waterfall, unusually small for MMJ, though they still check in at 48 minutes. And to be fair they’ve tended towards the shorter lists since Z. Here they take their time to really work a song out, only one song checks in at under 3:44, while 6 of the 10 are at least 4:50. ‘Spring (Amongst the Living)’ is one of those longer one, giving James and Broemel both the opportunity to stretch themselves out on guitar. ‘Thin Line’ and ‘Tropics (Erase Trases)’ – four songs have parenthetic subtitles – are probably the weakest of the set, meandering a little aimlessly yet each still with their moments (‘Tropics’ gets especially groovy midway in). However in between those is an instant banger, ‘Big Decisions’.

One thing you can usually count on with a MMJ album is the slow-burning closer. ‘Only Memories Remain’ is a worthy addition to that catalogue, probably one of their best examples thereof – though nothing will ever touch Dondante, that one’s beyond competition. Jeezus, I musta heard it 100 times and it still makes me wanna cry every time. And that freakin’ solo will just melt you. ‘Memories’ picks up the mysticism of the rest of the record and runs with it, settling into a sweet groove that’ll take you all the way to the goal line as guitars, both steel and electric, serenade your way.

The Waterfall itself, according to Jim James, is a metaphor for life pushing you down. There are doubts and worries throughout but there are also moments of great optimism. Waterfalls are dangerous but they’re also beautiful, you just need a lil perspective is all. My Morning Jacket are a rare thing in today’s music industry. They’re a band that doesn’t limit themselves to expectations. The Waterfall is hardly the biggest departure they’ve taken; it didn’t need to be. It’s just another great record by a borderless band intent on bringing artistry back into the rock world like we’ve barely seen since the fabled 70s. And if it sounds like I’m being a bit biased, it’s only because they’re my favourite band on the planet.