Yet still the group's music-- a mass of splintered guitar, percussion, harmonica, and indistinct voices-- remains faithfully reliant on congregational unity, and as result Flags of the Sacred Harp stands as Jackie-O Motherfucker's most potent and focused liturgy to date.  Full text...

This is a surprisingly pleasant, accessible and slow burning album that haunts your head for hours after listening to it and fully affirms the early promise that celebrity supporters Sonic Youth and Stephen Malkmus saw in Jackie O Money Funster, early doors.   Full text...

Consisting primarily of re-interpreted gospel and blues standards, it's an album where creepy found sounds and drones take the place of lush guitars and cellos.  Full text...

Despite the abstract nature of much of Flags of the Sacred Harp, the album is a mostly melodic, beautifully-executed recording. Even the more improv-laden sections of the album never veer anywhere near the realm of gratuitous wankery. Perhaps Flags of the Sacred Harp represents the next step in the evolution of free-folk towards a more song-based approach.  Full text...

Someone should be making this music: it reminds us where we came from, and why it still matters.  Full text...

Taking as its starting point the bare bones of American roots music, Flags of the Sacred Harp ends up as a pre-modern take on psychedelia, frequently trying ('Spirits' last 16 minutes) but often very beautiful.  Full text...

Flags of the Sacred Harp is Jackie-O Motherfucker's most consistent reconciliation with song.  Full text...

This is an album where nothing much happens, even though a lot goes on: insects whine against improvisational clicks and beeps, and soft madrigals build into crescendos of noise.  Full text...

On Flags of the Sacred Harp, JOMF deliver an album that, while still not tune-oriented in the traditional sense, relies on songcraft to set the table for the band's still-prevalent noise fetish.   Full text...