Some albums exist. Others insist. And then there’s My Morning Jacket’s latest release, IS, which simply… is. It doesn’t ask for your attention; it absorbs it. With lyrics that dance between cryptic poetry and gut-punch truths, IS plays like a collection of postcards from the edge of the cosmos.

From the opening hum of “Out in the Open” you’re not just listening — you’re traveling. Tracks like “Everyday Magic” radiate warmth, with guitars shimmering like desert heatwaves, while “I Can Hear Your Love” submerges listeners in a dreamlike haze. And then there’s “Die for It,” a raucous anthem that demands to be shouted from the rooftops — preferably under a full moon.

But it’s not all astral projection and existential ponderings. My Morning Jacket still knows how to get your feet stomping. “Squid Ink” crashes in like the wild lovechild of jam-band chaos and arena-rock grandeur. Then, just when you think you’ve found your footing, the ambient closer, “River Road,” whispers like a secret you’re not quite sure you were meant to hear.

If you find yourself cruising down a Georgia backroad, windows down, air thick with honeysuckle, let IS be your soundtrack. It’s the perfect companion for the kind of springtime that hums with possibility and drips with nostalgia.

– Chris Rucker