Critic's Choice

Laura Bond May 15, 2003 4:00AM

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My Morning Jacket, which appears Tuesday, May 20, at the Fox Theatre, with Detachment Kit, aims to restore dignity to the oft-maligned genre of classic rock, albeit with an entirely modern sensibility that's both organic and studio-enhanced. Hooky and exultant, with occasionally countrified flourishes, the music suggests what might have happened if Neil Young had jammed with this Louisville, Kentucky, combo rather than Pearl Jam. Two full-length records, The Tennessee Fire and At Dawn, roll out with a soft-focus production aesthetic that recalls both Galaxy 500 and a dream state -- all the better for letting the songs affix themselves to your consciousness. Singer-songwriter Jim James's high-pitched and longing vocals are sometimes so sad-sounding you want to give him a hug; other times, he's celebratory, impassioned and just plain powerful. Oh, what a beautiful Morning.

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