You Know How You Are

My Morning Jacket “You Wanna Freak Out”

“You Wanna Freak Out” is a musical argument against stoicism that nevertheless sounds rational, composed and even-tempered. It’s like some serene therapist goading you on — express what you feel, let it on out, you need this catharsis! And maybe you do, but this composition is so graceful and lovely that letting go seems more like weightlessness, like floating away in a stiff breeze. Well, that is, until the song does actually freak out a bit in a burst of static-y overdriven guitar at its climax. The band nails this dynamic shift — the swing from swooping elegance to self-conscious fit feels natural but also sudden and slightly unsure. It nearly drowns out the gentle, delicate parts of the arrangement but I like that those bits are still there. Oddly, the sound that feels like having your head in the clouds is what grounds the track.

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