Circuital

All tracks were recorded in the band's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky in a church gymnasium with producer Tucker Martine. The album was mixed at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.Maloney, Sean [http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/03/my-morning-jacket-southern-ghost-voices/] – March 1, 2011 Music site Antiquiet stated the main themes of Circuital deal with "growing older and wiser, but with a respect for past experiences." "Victory Dance" was brought on by Jim James' experience with Lasik surgery before the sessions for Circuital. The day after surgery, James began to play his Wurlitzer keyboard and reflected on the surgery. The lyrics, "Should I close my eyes and prophesize?" are taken from the surgery.

The title track was recorded on the band's second attempt. James explained to UK newspaper The Sun that the song is about the circular nature of life. Originally conceived as a Muppets song for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the song was to be performed by My Morning Jacket live with the Muppets on stage with the band behind a curtain, playing live. However, when the Muppets project was disbanded, the song was recorded for Circuital. "Outta My System" was also to be part of the failed Muppets tour. The song is about a man looking back on his reckless youth and, despite some risky life choices, the man is glad he did all those things and to be able to "get it outta my system." On the origins of "Holdin' On to Black Metal," bassist Tom Blankenship stated to IFC that it deals with holding on to something that you loved as a child that helped you cope with growing up. He went on to say: "How difficult would adolescence have been without the music that helped carry us through it? No one enters adulthood feeling none of the emotions they did when they were sixteen." The song contains an all female choir, consisting of friends of the band.

The songs "Wonderful" and "Outta My System" were originally written by Jim James for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem to perform in the 2011 film The Muppets and a subsequent tour,Hiatt, Brian [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/my-morning-jacket-find-killer-new-groove-on-circuital-20110303 "My Morning Jacket Find Killer New Groove on Circuital"] Rolling Stone – March 3, 2011 but these were left unused after the executive who hired him was fired.Mooney, Kate [http://www.nypress.com/blog-9046-todd-haynes-and-my-morning-jacket-get-weird.html "Todd Haynes and My Morning Jacket Get Weird"]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} New York Press – June 1, 2011 Of the turn of events James said: "So now, twice, Muppet glory has been within my grasp...it's pretty heartbreaking, but it did propel us just to kick into high gear and finish our own record."

The album cover is a close-up shot of a Magic eye tube fitted onto vintage radio receivers from the 1930s. The purpose of tuning eyes in these radio sets was to help tune a station in at its strongest point on the dial. So when the perfect frequency was found, the Magic Tuning Eye would be lit up all the way (like the album cover's). The percentage of light shown signified the strength of the signal. As mentioned to Rolling Stone magazine by James, the album cover depicting the Magic eye tube was inspired by his own experience of getting Lasik eye surgery, saying: "The whole experience of it is so fucked up, it's somebody slicing your eyeball open and shooting you with a laser." It also inspired James to write the song "Victory Dance."

{{Music ratings

| ADM = 6.9/10{{cite web |url=http://anydecentmusic.com/review/3118/My-Morning-Jacket-Circuital.aspx |title=Circuital by My Morning Jacket reviews |website=AnyDecentMusic? |access-date=December 28, 2019}}

| MC = 76/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/circuital/my-morning-jacket |title=Reviews for Circuital by My Morning Jacket |website=Metacritic |access-date=October 16, 2018}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/circuital-mw0002135929 |title=Circuital – My Morning Jacket |website=AllMusic |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Leahey |first=Andrew}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2score = B+{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/my-morning-jacket-circuital-1798168430 |title=My Morning Jacket: Circuital |work=The A.V. Club |date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Murray |first=Noel}}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3score = B+{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/05/25/circuital-review-my-morning-jacket/ |title=Circuital |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Tucker |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Tucker}}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/02/my-morning-jacket-circuital-review |title=My Morning Jacket: Circuital – review |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=June 2, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Simpson |first=Dave}}

| rev5 = The Independent

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-my-morning-jacket-circuital-v2-2292265.html |title=Album: My Morning Jacket, Circuital (V2) |work=The Independent |location=London |date=June 3, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Gill |first=Andy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607014609/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-my-morning-jacket-circuital-v2-2292265.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011}}

| rev6 = Los Angeles Times

| rev6score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/05/album-review-my-morning-jackets-circuital.html |title=Album review: My Morning Jacket's 'Circuital' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Wappler |first=Margaret}}

| rev7 = NME

| rev7score = 7/10{{cite journal |url=https://www.nme.com:80/reviews/my-morning-jacket/12106 |title=Album Review: My Morning Jacket – 'Circuital' |journal=NME |date=June 1, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Cooper |first=Leonie |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606133317/http://www.nme.com/reviews/my-morning-jacket/12106 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8score = 7.2/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15471-circuital |title=My Morning Jacket: Circuital |work=Pitchfork |date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Petrusich |first=Amanda |author-link=Amanda Petrusich}}

| rev9 = Rolling Stone

| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/circuital-20110526 |title=Circuital |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 26, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Dolan |first=Jon}}

| rev10 = Spin

| rev10Score = 8/10{{cite web |url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/my-morning-jacket-circuital-ato |title=My Morning Jacket, 'Circuital' (ATO) |work=Spin |date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |last=Menconi |first=David}}

}}

Uncut placed the album at number 35 on its list of "Top 50 albums of 2011".{{Cite web|url=https://stereogum.com/891311/uncuts-top-50-albums-of-2011/list|title = Uncut's Top 50 Albums of 2011|date = 29 November 2011}} It was also named the 9th best album by Clash Magazine, the third best by Paste and KCRW music director as well as 6th on The Record Exchange's best of 2011 lists and the 11th best by Rolling Stone.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/music-critic-top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2011|title=2011 Music Critic Top Ten Lists [Updated Jan. 7]|website=Metacritic|access-date=2020-04-21|archive-date=2018-11-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110112157/https://www.metacritic.com/feature/music-critic-top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2011|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2011-20111207/my-morning-jacket-circuital-19691231|title=50 Best Albums of 2011: My Morning Jacket, 'Circuital'|website=Rollingdtone.com|access-date=May 31, 2025}} It also was named 14th best album of 2011 by American Songwriter, honorable mention by Glide, 78th best by Popmatters, and 20th best by Mojo.

On November 30, 2011, the album received a nomination in the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album.

{{track listing

| all_writing = Jim James

| title1 = Victory Dance

| length1 = 5:40

| title2 = Circuital

| length2 = 7:20

| title3 = The Day Is Coming

| length3 = 3:17

| title4 = Wonderful (The Way I Feel)

| length4 = 4:17

| title5 = Outta My System

| length5 = 3:22

| title6 = Holdin on to Black Metal

| length6 = 4:20

| title7 = First Light

| length7 = 3:46

| title8 = You Wanna Freak Out

| length8 = 3:20

| title9 = Slow Slow Tune

| length9 = 4:30

| title10 = Movin' Away

| length10 = 5:12

| total_length = 45:07

}}

Note: "Holdin' On to Black Metal" includes portions of "E-Saew Tam Punha Huajai (Advice Column for Love Troubles Part I)", written by Kwan Jai & Kwan Jit Sriprajan. James used the song as a loop to record the demo. The band subsequently used the loop as a guide when recording the final track.

On the LP version of Circuital, the intro to "The Day Is Coming" varies slightly and seems a couple seconds longer than the other released formats.

My Morning Jacket

• Tom Blankenship – bass guitar
• Carl Broemel – guitar, vocals, pedal steel, saxophone, horn arrangements
• Patrick Hallahan – drums, percussion
• Jim James – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Bo Koster – keyboards, vocals, synthesizers, pianos, organs, glockenspiel, percussion

Additional musicians

• Black Metal Girls – group backing vocals (track 6)
• Chris Gregg – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
• Jeremy Kittel – violin, viola
• Leif Shires – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Ben Sollee – cello
• Oscar Utterstrom – trombone, euphonium

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{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|339733|Circuital|type=album}}

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Category:2011 albums

Category:My Morning Jacket albums

Category:Rough Trade Records albums

Category:EMI Records albums

Category:ATO Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Tucker Martine

Category:Albums produced by Jim James