Monday, July 31, 2017

Wilco (the album)

Wilco released their self-titled album in 2009, just 14 years after the debut.  It starts with an actual song called Wilco, something of a throwaway chug.  Tracks like Deeper Down, Country Disappeared and I'll Fight have a strong production, giving it them slightly easy-listening feel.  The Leslie Feist duet You and I, and You Never Know are poppy, Beatles style numbers but aren't that memorable.  The driving, progressive One Wing is an improvement, still quite catchy but less... predictable.  Bull Black Nova is a sop to fans of their Jim O'Rourke period.  Built around a repeating one-note keyboard pattern, adding guitar, bass and drums where they see fit, again it's melodic but not as 'safe' as the rest of the album, getting noisier as it builds.  On the other extreme, Solitaire is like an acoustic version of the sadder end of the Beach Boys, which is a lot better than that sounds, all whispered, breathy vocals and deftly picked acoustic guitar.  The album finishes with Everlasting Everything, a kind of John Lennon-y piano ballad with a bit of drama thrown into the chorus with a clanging chime rounding it off.  

So most likely Wilco's pop album then.  But certainly, not their best.


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