If you’ve been an avid listener over the past few months, you’ve no doubt heard My Morning Jacket’s “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2.”  I first got hooked on it when I heard it during GQ’s show back in October, and after watching MMJ perform it in the back of a Black Cab, I was bewitched.  It’s not upbeat, by any means, but it has a persistent, almost throbbing beat that I just can’t help but nod my head to.  And the vocals sound vaguely Radiohead, but still original.

More recently, I’ve found myself skipping over “Pt. 2″ for its slightly more complicated and misunderstood older brother, “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 1.”  Never mind the fact that CW’s One Tree Hill borrowed the title for its first episode of this season, “Pt. 1″ is the band’s first go at using so much synth in under four minutes.  The first twelve seconds are as expected, simple guitar with a snappy drum beat laid over a few electronic sounds, but when the vocals glide in (yes, they litterally glide, or even float, out of my speakers) the song becomes something altogether new.  The persistent twang of the guitar keeps the track from actually floating away, and the vocals are vaguely reminiscent of the alt-country crooning on “I’m Amazed.”  My favorite part is right around 2:32 when lead singer Jim James (don’t worry, that’s not his actual name) whips out the falsetto for a few beats.

As the band’s most recent foray into the world of psych rock, I have to give them two thumbs up.  My only complaint, though, is that the track is followed on the album by “Highly Suspicious,” which is a bit too quick of a transition for my taste.  Not that that song doesn’t have its own high points, but after four minutes of mellow, it’s a little hard to swallow.