It Still Moves

 (94 customer reviews)

I had never heard of this band, and when a friend of mine suggested I buy "It Still Moves". I did, and I was initially unimpressed. I didn't think the musicians were particularly talented,I wasn't sure about the reverb-drenched vocals, and it sounded like more Alt-Country stuff.However, facing a long road trip, I thought it would give me another chance for a listen. It turns out this was a good decision on my part. When I concentrated on what the band was doing in regard to composition and arranging, I realized there were many subtle things happening. It was if every note and every beat served a specific purpose, yet it had a loose, relaxed, rather melancholy feel... The musicians have carefully crafted textures of sound which for me recall summer evenings spent fishing along a shady river, or time spent hiking in the mountains near where I grew up. The music is simultaneously simple and grandiose. The vocal reverb creates a big, full space within the music, and...Read more

"Sittin' here with me and mine, all wrapped up in a bottle of wine" - so 2003's "It Still Moves" begins, with Jim James's trademark reverberated vocals coming through the speakers like they're being shouted from deep inside a cave or something. The effect is distinct, and very successful, much like this album itself. Like the bear gracing the album cover, this is a mammoth effort: the album clocks in at 72 minutes, and most songs break the 6-minute mark. The result is a listening experience not for those who are easily bored, but rather those who can let the music unfold slowly (and make no mistake, those who do make it through the meandering parts will be richly rewarded in the end).

I actually find the length of the tracks to be one of the record's strongest assets. The balls out jams that end the majority of the songs here show a long lost affinity for the GROOVE. These guys know how to hit on a riff and milk it, and no avenue is left unexplored. There are...Read more

MMJ is the best thing out there right now. Why? Becuase they take you on excursions of the mind. It Still Moves is a long album, and the first time I heard it I was a bit overwhealmed with the length. My first thought was, 'this is a bit much for one record.' But once I realized that this was a band that was in no rush to tell you what they doing it all clicked. It clicked on a sunny afternoon by the pool. Spend some time with this album and the sun. Watch the sunset as Steam Engine roars to the end. Absorb yourself in the the atmosphere created by Jim James.

MMJ is the best kept secret in the music world right now. Let's keep it that way. What ever you do give It Still Moves the time it deserves to appreciate it. I think it's quite possibly the best album recorded in the past 15 years. Call me crazy.