The Waterfall

by

My Morning Jacket

The Waterfall is the seventh studio album by American rock band My Morning Jacket. Produced by Tucker Martine and group frontman Jim James, the album was released on May 4, 2015 by ATO Records and Capitol Records. After touring 2011’s Circuital (2011), for two years the band took a break before regrouping in late 2013 to begin work on The Waterfall, a process which took eighteen months.

Much of The Waterfall was recorded at a hilltop studio located Stinson Beach, California, where the band rented seaside homes while recording. Many elements of the album—from its tone to the album art—are heavily indebted to the area and its nature. James mostly brought unfinished lyrics to the group to create a spontaneous development process. In addition, he suffered a back injury during the sessions that hindered its production. His lyrics, likewise, document injury, romance and heartbreak, and spirituality, but center most on renewal. The album's music encompasses several genres, including folk, R&B, and psychedelia.

The album received favorable reviews from music critics, who considered it an improvement on their previous two albums. It debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., and represented career bests in several countries' national album charts. To promote the record, murals of a waterfall were painted on buildings in several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago. The group founded a philanthropic organization named after the album to support environmental causes. My Morning Jacket supported the record with a large summer tour, spanning five months and featuring appearances at theaters and festivals.

Outtakes for this release were repurposed into 2020's The Waterfall II.