7/10

While his band My Morning Jacket are still pumping out the hit records, frontman Jim James has always looked to pursue his own output over the years. Running a solo project throughout his time in the band, James has aimed to create an alter-ego of sorts on his solo releases, allowing him to explore the depths of his own songwriting with a more varied and experimental direction. And now he returns to deliver his next solo album 'Eternally Even'.

Yet while his latest work with My Morning Jacket, and even his last solo release 'Regions Of Light And Sound Of God', have been fairly upbeat affairs, this new record sees him explore a more gritty side to his psyche. With a brooding and monotonous pace throughout, 'Eternally Even' looks to bring out the frontman's darker writing methods. Something that has opened up his creativity and seems to work well in the context of this release.

While it may not seem like the most comfortable of directions he has explored over the years, it is a seldom seen one that has brought out an interesting side to him and his works. Eclectic and diverse in places, 'Eternally Even' seems like the material of a man yearning to explore his own possibilities.