"Z" is the fourth album from Kentucky's reverb-addicted My Morning Jacket [ tickets ]. At times it is epic and soaring. At times, it's absurd and annoying. Psychedelic waltz, anyone?

Luckily, though, "Z" is mostly really good--inspired, even--a snapshot of a band at its most ambitious and, with two new members, its most motivated.

Opener "Wordless Chorus" is instantly enthralling, part Flaming Lips, part Elton John-circa-"Benny and the Jets." On "Off the Record," the band pulls off its greatest success, finally translating its stage show power and skill to the studio with super-sized guitars that blend seamlessly into a cosmic Pink Floyd jam.

"Z" isn't perfect. There are moments when the Southern five-piece relapses into old habits--go-nowhere jams, cliched couplets begging for a rewrite, a waltz. But inspiration takes many forms. Despite its enigmatic title, "Z" is MMJ's most direct work yet--a union of tight hooks and spaced-out jams.