Maybe you know him as the frontman of My Morning Jacket or as a free spirit that floats around the indie music world or maybe you know him as that Yim Yames guy that released the cool George Harrison tribute a few years back. If none of that rings a bell, just know he is Jim James, his solo debut Regions of Light and Sound of God comes out today and all eyes and ears are on him.
We caught his performance the other night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and it was riveting. Not only was he fantastical but The Roots on backup made you want to stand up and cheer for “A New Life.” So much so, that band leader and drummer Questlove tweeted it was the most beautiful song he’s ever played on the show (and he’s played with everyone) and called it the new “In Your Eyes” (think back to Say Anything with John Cusack and his boom box).
Above all, the record itself is top rate from beginning to end. It’s lovely and deep and dark and cool and moving in all the right directions. There’s not many that can riff on A,E,I,O,U and still sound all heartfelt and hip (check the opening track).
Since watching the performance below, now countless times, we can still only echo Jimmy Fallon’s reaction: JIM JAMES! JIM JAMES! JIM JAMES! See and hear for yourself:
Recommended links:
Jim James Official Site