Jim James Unveils New Acoustic LP Uniform Clarity, Shares Two New Songs
Photo by Kevin Ratterman
Jim James has announced the forthcoming release of Uniform Clarity, a new companion piece to his 2018 solo album, Uniform Distortion.
The new LP, which includes acoustic versions of the songs originally from Uniform Distortion, along with two new tracks, arrives on Friday, Oct. 5 via ATO. Preorders are available here.
“The idea for Uniform Clarity came from Uniform Distortion, an album of intentional chaos/dirt: literal and figurative distortion of lyrics and sound meant to echo and hopefully shed some light on the twisted times and distortion of the truth in which we now live,” James explains. “Uniform Clarity is meant to illuminate the other side—raw and real, but very clear, much like in the early days of recording where all you could hear was the truth because there were no ways to manipulate recordings in the studio.”
Uniform Clarity was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, The War On Drugs).
“Working with Shawn Everett, we created a document style recording of these songs—just vocals, guitar and the space itself—no special FX,” James notes. “A crystal clear illustration of the flawed beauty of what a song starts off as or sometimes remains—a thought. A seed. A light from the womb of the universe brought to life down here on earth.”
The full tracklist and album art can be found down below.
Later this evening, James will host a live event on YouTube called “Jim James Presents Uniform Clarity: In Conversation & Performance.” Viewers will have access to special performances and discussions about the forthcoming release and his larger body of work. James will also be talking about his belief in the importance of voting and his hopes for Election Day. The broadcast will come to an end with a live performance and Q+A session, which will be streamed from San Francisco at 8 p.m. ET and can be found below.
James will also set out on a solo acoustic tour, beginning Nov. 1 in California, taking him across the U.S. and culminating on Nov. 21 in Kentucky. Audiences will be able to see the My Morning Jacket frontman, accompanied by longtime drummer David Givan, perform a career-encompassing setlist, including many songs from his two most recent LPs. The full list of tour dates can be found below.
Uniform Distortion is available now. Uniform Clarity arrives via ATO on Friday, Oct. 5.
Listen to James’ two new singles off the LP, “You Get to Rome” and “Over and Over.” You can also check out Paste’s 2013 interview with James and listen to him, Will Johnson, Jay Farrar and Anders Parker perform tracks off their Woody Guthrie tribute album New Multitudes for Daytrotter.
