Song of the Day - Wonderful (The Way I Feel)

Artist: My Morning Jacket (USA)

Album: Circuital (2011)

 

You know a great song when you’re listening to an album in your car and once the song is done, you just keep hitting that button to start it again.  Such was the case of My Morning Jacket’s brilliant tune, Wonderful (The Way I Feel), today.  I’ve been listening to their latest album Circuital for a few days now and with each listen, it just gets better and better.  The way this band seems to come straight out of the 1970s is almost unbelievable in this day and age, especially in Australia where radio tends to be focused on the “indie pop made by arts graduates (or drop outs)” sound.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but My Morning Jacket seem to be quite popular in their home country, but here, they barely get a mention.

By taking equal parts from classic Pink Floyd, The Who and The Beatles tracks, My Morning Jacket have managed to find a sound that is not only out of place with current music trends, but also makes them appear timeless.  They manage to sound entirely different, yet familiar at the same time.  Never is this more evident on what is, perhaps, the most accessible track on Circuital.  Wonderful (The Way I Feel) is a gorgeous acoustic track full of beautiful vocal harmonies and soaring, but subtle, strings.  Lyrically, the song appears to be optimistic, speaking of escaping from an unsatisfying world to a place of true freedom.  The lyrical optimism seems to be undercut though by the melancholic nature of the music, appearing to lament the idea that the world is too far gone to become truly free and that this freedom can only be achieved within the mind of the individual.  Please be aware that this interpretation is wholly my own.  I’m a strong believer in the idea that a song’s meaning depends entirely upon the listener and where they are in their lives.  The fact remains though, that this is an outstanding song, and one that I have listened to many times today.  I honestly can’t wait to hear it live if they play it during their Bluesfest set in April and I hope you enjoy it too.