WILCO, WILCO

Genre(s): Alternative, Rock, Folk, Experimental.

Preamble: Wilco, the band releases Wilco (The Album), which contains “Wilco”, the song. Confusing? Perhaps. Although, a dense fog of confusion has always played a major role (metaphorically) with our favorite Alt-Country-innovators-turned-superstars.

Look: A desert workhorse is cheekily adorned with a party hat at a rooftop party devoid of guests. I’m gonna sit here and decipher some sort of meaning, that’s usually how I work. Here it goes!

Long-winded: Children’s birthday parties, at least the thematically poignant ones we dream of, would include a pony, right? My parties growing up involved piñatas, carne asada, and a full keg of beer for the adults. My cultural differences are a bit skewed but can’t escape something any echelon of society knows: the feeling of being “the odd man out”. Wilco, for all its triumph, could never really reach the level of a U2, REM, or band-that-both-fans-and-critiques-adore. Wilco’s not a band for the masses, as much as you’d like to think so. They, take some getting used to, are an acquired taste per se. Our desert friend could represent the “odd” kids getting together to throw a party of the rest of us, by the rest of us, for the rest of us.

Short And Sweet: Why not have a camel at a birthday party? Take the damn picture already! The camel wrangler’s gonna be here any minute!

Listen: “Common children, you’re acting like children/every generation thinks it’s the end of the world,” Jeff Tweedy sings with jesting concern on “You Never Know”. He follows that with a catchy-as-hell chorus saying “I don’t care anymore, ‘cause you never know”. On 2007’s Sky Blue Sky we listened to Tweedy dealing with the woes of adulthood. This time around could we be hearing insightful words of wisdom that only come from old age?

“I’ll Fight”, is a song so chivalrous it could be passed off as romantic; well, as romantic as any man can get without exposing his soft underbelly. Before you get all gushy, “Bull Black Nova” takes us into pitch-black. Building greater tension than anything Hitchcock could produce, we are painted a picture of a man who has just committed homicide. He sits on the hood of his car contemplating his fate, reminiscing all the blood left at the scene of the crime.

The two humps on our party attendee are perfect symbolism of what this album feels like: peaks of very successful songs and valleys with songs that could’ve used more attention. My personal dislike for “You And I” (featuring singer-songwriter Leslie Feist) goes a long way, but this tune will have no problem deflecting my negativity with its radio-friendly coating. Tweedy presents the theme of the album as "acceptance of things you cannot change". 12 step program? Anyone? Acceptance of more commercial sounding music is a direct effect of that.

Speak: “Wilco”, the album’s opening track exclaims “Wilco, will love you, baby”. Bands whom have achieved cult status usually travel a two-way road, appreciating their fans as much as their fans appreciate them. All be it the road less traveled, Tweedy and company reinforce that admiration by letting us know they have our unbroken back.

http://www.wilcoworld.net/

ALBUM: B-
ARTWORK: B-
DO WE HAVE A FIT? NEUTRAL