Wilco - A.M.

Wilco's debut album, released in 1995 is a fairly 'straight' country rock album.  It opens with I Must Be High, a melodic, upbeat country rocker.  Casino Queen is a boozy, Stonesy rocker, straight out of Exile on Main Street, while Box Full of Letters is a similarly swaggering rock song.

Shouldn't Be Ashamed slows the pace down a bit and it suits them better.  The song still rocks, just a bit more gently, and it's a highlight.  As are Pick Up The Change and I Thought I Held You, a pair of breezy, relaxed tunes with Jeff Tweedy's voice upfront and central.  Less successful is the overly country, banjo-drenched That's Not The Issue, and John Stirratt-sung country ballad It's Just That Simple feels a bit out of place.

The album recovers well with strumalong Should've Been In Love, and the remaining songs drift pleasantly along, including the Dylan/Neil Young style Passenger Side and the blissed-out country drift of Dash 7 and Blue Eyed Soul.