At Dawn

Cover of At Dawn

In April 2001 My Morning Jacket released second studio album on Darla Records. The album was named At Dawn and contains 15 tracks.
  1. At Dawn – 3:49
  2. Lowdown – 3:53
  3. The Way That He Sings – 5:35
  4. Death Is the Easy Way – 5:28
  5. Hopefully – 5:55
  6. Bermuda Highway – 3:19
  7. Honest Man – 7:46
  8. Xmas Curtain – 4:49
  9. Just Because I Do – 2:55
  10. If It Smashes Down – 5:28
  11. I Needed It Most – 6:36
  12. Phone Went West – 7:05
  13. Strangulation! – 8:08
  14. Untitled – 3:08
 The album features Jim James, Johnny Quaid, J. Glenn, Two Tone Tommy and Danny Cash. All songs are written by Jim James.


The first 2500 CD releases and the first 1000 vinyl 2LP came with a bonus CD containing 11 demo songs.
  1. "Way That He Sings"
  2. "Hopefully"
  3. "Just Because I Do"
  4. "Bermuda Highway"
  5. "Lowdown"
  6. "Honest Man"
  7. "At Dawn"
  8. "I Needed It Most"
  9. "Lead Me Father"
  10. "Phone Went West"
  11. "Chills"

Recording
The album was recorded and mixed above at Above The Cadillac Studios, Shelbyville, KY except Chills, and If It Smashes Down which, according to the CD booklet was "recorded in waxwork museum in my basement" and Hidden Song #1 which was recorded by Chris Koltay at Ultrasuede.
"The band records its next album over a three-day weekend in the summer of 2000. The record remains … the best of what’s possible with a one-inch tape machine, pieced-together equipment and late nights spent making each other howl with laughter as much as creating music."
 - Tom Blankenship
(am New York interview, October 2010)
"We locked ourselves in for many days with all the necessary elements (lights, candles, Madonna’s Immaculate Collection, Dreamcast and cookies) and we just started cooking."
 - Jim James
(Philadelphia Citypaper interview, June 2001)

Sound/themes
"I love big, huge open sounds, such as vocals cut far away from the mic in a big room (i.e. Exile on Main Street ), and also huge drum sounds (i.e. Led Zeppelin). I just love atmosphere. I love hearing the rooms where the songs were recorded, chairs creaking, crickets and the like. (...) It feels like love and rhymes with childbirth. I think Darla’s music is all based loosely around the same beautiful feelings of pleasure and color. There is a black vibe that runs through it all, but it is also so very colorful."
- Jim James
(Philadelphia Citypaper interview, June 2001)

Influences


Critical reception

Other artists comments

Dave Grohl
In the August issue of Spin Magazine Dave Grohl mentions My Morning Jacket when asked about what inspires him. "It's when you hear an album that inspires you to write and play yourself. It's just all about the shameless fucking naked passion. Like the (...) Or the first time I heard My Morning Jacket's At Dawn - it still makes me cry."