For more than 25 years, My Morning Jacket has thrived on evolving their sound. From their reverb-drenched early days to their sprawling, arena-filling anthems, the Louisville rockers have built a career on defying expectations. With Is, their 10th studio album and first full-length in over three years, they’ve done it again, this time by stepping outside their own creative bubble. Produced by Brendan O’Brien, the studio wizard behind classics from Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and Rage Against The Machine, Is marks the first time frontman Jim James has relinquished full control of the band’s sound. The result is a record that feels as expansive as ever, but with a newfound urgency, a clarity that cuts through the psychedelic haze My Morning Jacket so often revels in. “Up until now, I’ve never been able to let go and allow someone else to steer the ship,” James admits. “But in the end, I was able to enjoy the process maybe more than I ever have before.”

That trust pays off. Lead single “Time Waited” is pure MMJ, a swirling, emotive rock n’ roll hymn. Its soaring chorus and flowing vibe serve as a fitting introduction to Is, which trades in the band’s usual ethereal sprawl for something more direct, more immediate. Then there’s “Squid Ink,” a warped, pulsing track that pushes their sound into other unknown areas, its psychedelic energy heightened by a trippy, kaleidoscopic video directed by Danny Clinch.

Recording at Los Angeles’ Henson Studios, the band arrived with more than a hundred demos, whittling them down to 10 songs that best captured where they are today. The album kicks off with the expansive “Out In The Open,” a slow-burning journey that builds to a towering climax. Throughout, My Morning Jacket sounds reenergized, balancing their cosmic ambitions with tight, punchy songwriting that packs a real punch.

The title itself is as open-ended as the music. “I like how the word ‘is’ indicates a sense of presence in the now,” James explains. “There’s no logic or rationale behind this record; it just is.” That feeling of surrender, of embracing the moment, can be felt across the entire album. Coming at a pivotal moment - coinciding with the 20th anniversary of their landmark 2005 album Z - Is isn’t interested in nostalgia or retreading old ground. They’re still searching, still exploring, still chasing that undeniable force of sound and connection.

“One of the cool things about being around this long is that we’re not afraid to scrap something if we don’t absolutely love it,” James says. “It feels really great to have a collection of songs we all love this much, and to know that we worked as hard as we possibly could on them.”