CD of The Week

I'll be direct: Jim James' full-length solo debut, Regions of Light and Sound of God, is a lovely, wondrous album. It's contemplative, funky, langorous and dramatic, all at once, and lifted high by James' soulful vocals and thoughtful lyrics. It's a damned thing of beauty, if you ask me.

I was never a huge My Morning Jacket, although I came to enjoy their work more recently, with Evil Urges and Circuital. Both of those took a glossier, mellow gold sort of approach that continues here, although James balances his approachability with a sense of spirituality and uplift creeping in at the edges. Perhaps it's in the way his mostly sparse production largely keeps his voice firmly in the foreground, even against the few lush arrangements like "Actress."

That turns out to be a great decision, because James' voice is the thread that ties everything together, whether he's asserting his dominance over his recording technology in "State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)," tenderly pledging his love in "A New Life," or describing a relationship as a joint cosmic voyage in "Dear One." Here, he seems to embrace the better qualities of vocalists as diverse as Wayne Coyne and Roy Orbison, his instrument alternately soaring, trembling and cracking.

James' blend of pop songcraft and gossamer soul is likely meant to evoke comparisons to George Harrison (especially considering his last solo effort was a Harrison tribute EP under the moniker Yim Yames). I think he also brings to mind echoes of Stevie Wonder, who was a master of infusing earthly concerns with otherworldly feeling. At only 38 minutes, Regions of Light and Sound of God certainly reaches for, and achieves much... including one's need to hear it again.

Jim James will be kicking off his North American tour at Johnny Brenda's on February 18th, then returns to play Union Transfer on April 27th. Both shows, however, are sold out.