REVIEWS - Jackie-O Motherfucker - Flags of the Sacred Harp (ATP)

What does it mean to begin listening to Jackie-O Motherfucker’s newest release, only to mentally shoot it down in an instant after a quick listen to the first track? Aside from a debauched sense of cynicism, such a lack of enthusiasm probably suggests that this record is probably best with repeated listens. The Mother’s latest “Flags of the Sacred Harp” doesn’t stray much from the group’s previous works, reveling in the matrimony of folk music and neo-psychedelic imprints of the far-out, though this melding is not always successful. Staying true to the Jackie-O theme, the album makes an appeal for a peachy slice of Americana, as is evident on “Rockaway.” But the folk and country influences are set in space-rock continuum that shows the band to be more calculated than improvisational, as they make it a point that they can delve into experimentation. However, this over-zealous fusion of multiple styles seems more like a novel idea than something that will ever be properly implemented. If you think about it, it’s actually kind of like Communism. But I don’t think Jackie O. wouldn’t approve of that.

– Jennifer Miller