I'll be honest, on the first listen through The Waterfall II, nothing really stood out to me. Then I listened again. And again. And again. And it sucked me into a world of calm, gentle, folky reflections of Jim James and the gang (with the exception of the hard-rocking "Wasted"). The Waterfall II is more subdued and less experimental than their previous releases, which shows a band that is content and reflective. From the fluttery guitar on "Feel You", to the dissonant break on "Still Thinking", this still feels like an MMJ record, just one that is meant to comfort. James has said that he felt like "Spinning My Wheels" during quarantine, and hopes that listeners will identity with that track, and feel comfort knowing that we are going through it together.
Release date: July 10, 2020
Similar artist(s): Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear
Top tracks: Still Thinking, Feel You, Run It, Magic Bullet