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Wilco (The Brief Opinion)
I've been listening to Wilco (The Album) quite a bit lately. Now that it's out in the world, I still don't know how I feel about it. That's a confusing place to be - both as a Wilco fan and as someone whose living comes, at least in part, from asserting my opinion about music.
First of all, I don't like "Wilco (The Song)." I resign to the fact that a band called Wilco making an album called Wilco (The Album) may as well write "Wilco (The Song)" and make it track one. Because, go big or go home. I can admit, when you get past the gimmicky nature of its chorus, it's a decently passable groove. Catchy, even. Still, more often than not, I desperately want to skip it but track two, "Deeper Down," is not definitive enough to start an album. It's dark and moody, almost mumbly and sad. It is, inherently, a second track intended to sulk quietly and thoughtfully in the shadow of its ludicrous, can't-be-taken-seriously predecessor. Would I move anything up to the opening track on this album? No. So I grit my teeth through "Wilco (The Song)" and then happily move on.
The rest of the album is stacked mostly with tunes taken best one after the other - smart in a world where folks may be inclined to download only one or two songs. Tunes like "One Wing" and "Sonny Feeling" take me to some weird almost spacey place, with their self-aware lyrics, weird and sudden freakout guitar solos, and killer stuttering drums which eventually settle nicely into actual driving rhythms.
Then there's "Country Disappeared," wherein Tweedy's pessimism feels almost leftover from the Bush era, which is to say untimely...
Wake up we're here
It's so much worse than we feared
There's nothing left here
The country has disappeared
If the winter trees bleeding, leave red blood
The summer sweet dreaming, april blush
But none of that is ever gonna mean as much to me again.
It's a funny assertion on the heels of "You Never Know," which starts with:
Come on children, you're acting like children
every generation thinks it's the end of the world.
The hookiest part of the song is the tight harmonized repetition of "I don't care anymore." It is, in fact, easily my favorite tune on the record, because it moves on its own, with its prominent tambourine and piano, its background "oohs" and the fact that it lives in the tweeters. Despite its inherent movement, there's almost no bass here, or I can't find it. Maybe that's because my speakers suck, or maybe it's that this tune is just that deliberately upbeat. Lyrically, it's a grumpy old man song, and yet I feel like dancing. See what I mean about the confusion?
Then there's "Everlasting Everything" - its own little outpost of sadness and resignation, which spins around long enough to end around what sounds like a band of playfully spastic cyborg seagulls. What?
For all the confusion it stirs in me, Wilco (The Album) is nothing if not interesting. No doubt I'll form twenty "solid" opinions on it as time goes by. For now, it does a solid job looping on my speakers. So, at least it's not a throwaway album.
First of all, I don't like "Wilco (The Song)." I resign to the fact that a band called Wilco making an album called Wilco (The Album) may as well write "Wilco (The Song)" and make it track one. Because, go big or go home. I can admit, when you get past the gimmicky nature of its chorus, it's a decently passable groove. Catchy, even. Still, more often than not, I desperately want to skip it but track two, "Deeper Down," is not definitive enough to start an album. It's dark and moody, almost mumbly and sad. It is, inherently, a second track intended to sulk quietly and thoughtfully in the shadow of its ludicrous, can't-be-taken-seriously predecessor. Would I move anything up to the opening track on this album? No. So I grit my teeth through "Wilco (The Song)" and then happily move on.
The rest of the album is stacked mostly with tunes taken best one after the other - smart in a world where folks may be inclined to download only one or two songs. Tunes like "One Wing" and "Sonny Feeling" take me to some weird almost spacey place, with their self-aware lyrics, weird and sudden freakout guitar solos, and killer stuttering drums which eventually settle nicely into actual driving rhythms.
Then there's "Country Disappeared," wherein Tweedy's pessimism feels almost leftover from the Bush era, which is to say untimely...
Wake up we're here
It's so much worse than we feared
There's nothing left here
The country has disappeared
If the winter trees bleeding, leave red blood
The summer sweet dreaming, april blush
But none of that is ever gonna mean as much to me again.
It's a funny assertion on the heels of "You Never Know," which starts with:
Come on children, you're acting like children
every generation thinks it's the end of the world.
The hookiest part of the song is the tight harmonized repetition of "I don't care anymore." It is, in fact, easily my favorite tune on the record, because it moves on its own, with its prominent tambourine and piano, its background "oohs" and the fact that it lives in the tweeters. Despite its inherent movement, there's almost no bass here, or I can't find it. Maybe that's because my speakers suck, or maybe it's that this tune is just that deliberately upbeat. Lyrically, it's a grumpy old man song, and yet I feel like dancing. See what I mean about the confusion?
Then there's "Everlasting Everything" - its own little outpost of sadness and resignation, which spins around long enough to end around what sounds like a band of playfully spastic cyborg seagulls. What?
For all the confusion it stirs in me, Wilco (The Album) is nothing if not interesting. No doubt I'll form twenty "solid" opinions on it as time goes by. For now, it does a solid job looping on my speakers. So, at least it's not a throwaway album.
Views: 78
Tags: album, blog, community, jefftweedy, magazine, music, nodepression, reviews, wilco, wilcothealbum
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Comment by Dusty Hicks on June 30, 2009 at 6:16pm -
One of the things that I really like about Wilco is their albums tend to be so different yet the same. I mean, you know its Wilco the second you hear it but you also know that you are going to get something new and different with each and every one. I don't think the new album is another Sky Blue Sky, and I'm sure it wasn't intended to be, but it's very good in it's own right. I'm diggin' it!
fr0g_D
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Comment by Rockstar Aimz on June 30, 2009 at 7:45pm -
Boring! Wilco is one step away from Dad-rock.
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Comment by Hugo Traeger on June 30, 2009 at 9:12pm -
Listened for the first time today. Nothing jumped out at me. Possibly their weakest album. I should check back in after I have given it a few listens though.
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Comment by denton fabrics on July 1, 2009 at 6:04am -
I like the new album. A lot. Kim, I think that that following up You Never Know with Country Disappeared is classic Tweedy. Remember, Tweedy is a guy that in Wilco's early years loved nothing better than to screw with an audience's head, shouting insults and taunts from the stage. He knows he cant get away with that anymore but once a devil, always a devil, and I think sending mixed messages on back to back songs like that allows him to be the instigator. Same with the opening song. "Buy our records, buy our product, we'll love you!" Tongue-in-cheek, classic Tweedy.
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Comment by windfarm on July 1, 2009 at 9:28am -
There's definitely nothing majorly groundbreaking about the new record. There are some solid songs and some forgettable ones. For what its worth, it's nice they've been able to stay fairly relevant for this long given that I'm sure they've been pretty comfortable monetarily for some time now. They ended up in a market where their best demographic is the one that probably buys the most albums, so they just have to make music that isn't completely mainstream and it makes all us 20, 30, and 40 somethings feel like we're still listening to cool music.
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Comment by David Shaw on July 1, 2009 at 12:51pm -
I keep finding my eyebrows on the rise when that song comes on that reminds me of Li'l Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him" ... or is that what Roots Rock is all about? Harking back to one's roots? But I would have thought that song was before anyone in the bands time.....
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Comment by RP N10 on July 2, 2009 at 2:34am -
Does anyone else here a similarity between Solitaire and Good Vibrations?
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Comment by jorge on July 2, 2009 at 4:22am -
I´ve liked the record. I think it´s better than the previous one, sincerely. I think wilco have get the equilibrium between his more experimental tracks and their more classic songs. Now they feel like a band, a multiinstrumental band, and the explote their master playing instruments. I miss more "noise" inthe album, but i think most of the songs are really good, at least better than the mayor songs we can listen today in other groups. Definitely, i think it´s a good record, a mix between A ghost is born and Summerteeth.
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Comment by Frederick on July 2, 2009 at 5:47am
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After a few listens the album is alright but not great. It hard to keep topping your self after some of there older stuff. After all it is better then most pop style albums out there today, if thats what people are calling it.
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Comment by SoCalBert on July 2, 2009 at 10:28am
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I agree with the majority here. After the first couple listens I put it aside and I will give it another chance at some point. I guess Wilco kind of set a precedent where they changed directions on each album, which is hard to live up to.
In any event, don't let the album keep you away from their current tour. I saw them in L.A. and it was an inspired performance.
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