By Alex Brenner
I’m not going to lie to you. Wilco lost me for a moment. Just when I thought they had hit their peak with Being There, Jeff Tweedy and Co. dropped out of the alt-country scene (which admittedly has languished) with the release of Summerteeth. I still loved the band but was not ready for the change just yet. Wilco and I took some time off.
A few years ago, I revisited their entire discography because I felt maybe I had made a mistake. They had made yet another line up change and released Sky Blue Sky. While it was not their finest effort, it definitely showed new aural possibilities. That brings us to their 7th studio album, Wilco (the album).
Let me start off by saying this: Wilco may be the best American rock and roll band of our generation. Really? Yes, really. This band has no limitations. They are constantly evolving and exploring new sounds that are unique. They are “a sonic shoulder to cry on”. That’s right, “Wilco will love you baby” or at least that’s what “Wilco (the song)” promises. While some may find that tongue in cheek; I honestly believe Jeff Tweedy when he says it. This is a band that has catered to their fans since day one.
This record is like any of the band’s last few records – it takes a few listens to really get it. Wilco’s music is challenging which is why people either love them or hate them. Either way, Jeff Tweedy still proves to be a great songwriter and Wilco (the band) are very gifted musicians whose sonic mastery can make Radiohead sound like the Ramones.
I can’t stop drawing comparisons between that this record and Pavement’s Wowee Zowee. It reminds me of the varied tracks, like “Father to a Sister of Thought” and “Rattled by the Rush” and “AT&T”, on that often appreciated if undersold 1995 record. Which is to say, Wilco (the album) is a musically dense record mixing jazz, indie, Americana and catchy numbers but still a little hard to digest – like a Waffle House All-Star Special Breakfast.
The record starts with a catchy number and then quickly slows down. The duet with Fiest on “You and I” is okay but nothing amazing. It’s half way through when they hit “You Never Know” that Wilco really shines. Sounding a lot like when Jeff Lynne produced Tom Petty, Wilco rocks like the great American band we know they can be. In fact those opening chords sound a lot like Petty’s “Jammin’ Me” – but whatever (that one wasn’t produced by Lynne).
“Country Disappeared” and “Solitaire” kind of fill the record here. Although they are both lyrically very good, they are also kind of down tempo numbers that are not very memorable. Picking it back up with “I’ll Fight,” Jeff Tweedy sings “I’ll kill, I’ll kill, for you, I will” and his earnest delivery really brings you back into the record. Unlike most records, the last few songs on this disc really are the best. “Sunny Feeling” brings us back to that Being There sound. Is it the cool slide? Is it the summer sing along? Don’t know. Either way, I imagine that song just rocking live.
There are few bands that write consistent and ground breaking records every time. Wilco is seven for seven in my book. It’s been almost 17 years since Jeff Tweedy was the guy that got to sing the three songs on an Uncle Tupelo record. Unlike his former partner, Tweedy has progressed into an unbelievable songwriter and performer. I think there is a lot more to come from this band. This is not a record made by a group of people trying to be cool; this is music made men unafraid to show musical maturity. This is just one more reason to love Wilco back.
