Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
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Free Music Notes for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Free Music Review: finally coming into their own
Hit: 5 Stars
This is, without a doubt, the most interesting and accomplished album the band has put forth to date. It might sound strange, but its dawned on me that this is the first time, possibly ever, that Jeff seems totally comfortable with the sound of his own music. Each album has been an artistic step forward, but the music never fully sounded like their own. "AM" was a breezy set of bar-band tunes, "Being There" felt like an homage to someone's record collection, and "Summerteeth" gave the impression of a self-conscious (though not totally successful) attempt to not sound countryish anymore (and an ode to Brian Wilson). But despite those criticisms, each was magnificent in its own way, and Jeff's lyrics have generally continued to improve over time. And so, given all the turmoil and personnel shifts that have accompanied this record, its surprising to notice the band coming together as a more cohesive and original-sounding whole.
Being a longtime fan of the band, I really hate to say this about Ken, but switching drummers might be the biggest step forward this band has taken. Ken is a fine roots-rock drummer--but that's also a limitation. When the band has tried to move away from that genre in the past, something never quite sounded totally right. In my opinion, it was the rhythm section. Whether trying to "rock" or fill out the more spacy jams, something always sounded too rigid to my ears. This new record finally breaks that trend. This album isn't as mind-bogglingly revolutionary as some might have you believe, but it is a revelation in terms of the band's development.
Some will always find faults, of course. I, myself, am one of those who have been a follower since the UT days--tho not so much a disciple of the Alt-Country camp as some. And I'll admit that I used to feel myself mentally "fighting" the band with some of their releases. The shiny power-pop of "Summerteeth", in particular, really took a long time for me to warm to because there was a part of me that still wanted Jeff to start banging out punk rock again. Obviously, that's not going to happen. Nor is he going to go back to singing Carter Family tunes to appease the country crowd. He's on his own trip now and that's great. "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure" were bold statements for the band at the time of their release (and they were my favorite moments on BT) and I'm thrilled to see Wilco following down that twisty path.
Keep up the good work, guys!
Free Music Review: YHF Is Worth the Wait
Hit: 5 Stars
Normally, I would not review an album on the day it was released, but I have been listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for four months now after burning it off the internet. For those of you who have been waiting for its release after much delay, do not fear: it's worth the wait. Wilco continue to evolve as a band with every album. Jeff Tweedy's songwriting ability has grown considerably and he seems to have really found his own voice on YHF. Although I recommend this album highly, beware that this album's subtle charms unravel themselves after repeated listens. Tweedy's lyrics have become more abstract and the band uses more sound effects and white noise to complement their usual arrangements. That's not to say that Wilco have gone and made an overly pretentious, arty record either- not by a long shot. This album spreads its arms and invites you in like an old friend; it's just that some tracks will need some time to seep into your consciousness.
On their last album, Summerteeth, Wilco started to move away from just being an (excellent) alt.country, roots rock band and incorporating more elements into their music. On YHF, they move further away from easy categorization. Are they Americana, pop, avant garde? Who cares, really. I don't see them fitting into any radio format, but that's a good thing, right?
The upbeat, more conventional songs, such as "Kamera,"War On War," and "Heavy Metal Drummer" will probably grab your ear first. These are all, indeed, good, but my favorites ended up being some of the more moody, emotional tracks: "Jesus, Etc.," "Ashes of American Flags," "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart." They all grow on you, especially Tweedy's lyrics, which have become more meaningful as they've become more abstract (no mean feat). Example: the first words sung on the album are "I am an American aquarium drinker. I assassin down the avenue." While they don't exactly make linear sense, they work perfectly within the context of the song. Other highlights include more standard fare such as "distance has no way of making love understandable," which sums up well the album's themes of communication, love, and the distance between us all.
This album is my favorite of the year so far. Even though I have a pirated copy, I went and spent my money on the real thing today in support of the band. I figured it was the least I could do as much as I've enjoyed this album.
Free Music Review: A beautiful album full of growth and innovation
Hit: 5 Stars
"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was my first true introduction to Wilco, and I approached the band from the standpoint of an indie rock--not an alt-country--fan. I mention this right up front because I know it colors my feelings about "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," and even though I have since fallen in love with Wilco's previous albums (as well as other alt-country bands), all of Wilco's prior work seems like steps towards an ultimate goal: "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."
From the beginning, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" sets itself apart from Wilco's past albums--and from most other albums, period. The beautiful noise that introduces "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" clearly has Jim O'Rourke's fingerprints all over it, and the album is better for O'Rourke's influence. Of course, the main innovative force at work is the band itself. Beyond the experiments with noise and music, Tweedy's lyrics have evolved as well. Tweedy's phrasing frequently sends shivers down my spine. Take, for example, this verse from "Ashes of American Flags:"
"I want a good life
With a nose for things
A fresh wind and bright sky
To enjoy my suffering."
And on paper, this line has only a fraction of the impact that Tweedy's beautiful, delicate and cracking, yet strong and emotion-laden voice provides all of his lyrics.
The songs flow quite seamlessly into one another, even though there are several changes of tone, from the quiet drift of "Radio Cure" to the upbeat pop-rock of "Heavy Metal Drummer" to the soaring journey of "Poor Places." I find "Ashes of American Flags"--a beautifully introspective and searching song--and "Jesus, Etc." to be the strongest songs on the album; the power of "Jesus, Etc." is certainly augmented by world events that occurred after it was written. I don't think there are any true weak points on this album. I very rarely play "Kamera," "War on War," or "Reservations" by themselves, but at the same time, I have no desire to skip over them when I'm listening to the entire album.
In short, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is an amazing album both for its innovation and for the sheer beauty of its songs. I would recommend it without reservation to any Wilco or indie rock fan; alt-country fans who are looking for an introduction to Wilco might wish try an earlier album first.
Free Music Review: Wilco's Continuing Migration
Hit: 5 Stars
Four records in and we find wilco further yet from their freshman effort, A.M. First off, at this point in their career to call Wilco alt-country is akin to calling Donna Summers heavy metal. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot takes the listener on an existentialist trip, with the band creating a loose sonic meditiation on distance and love, using random radio signals as a metaphor. This isn't to say that it isn't fun as well - afterall, anyone who's ever seen Wilco live knows that they are spry and playful onstage - and they can rock out with the best of them. With songs like Kamera, War on War, Heavy Metal Drummer (a beautiful ode to youth, innocence and Ray Davies), I'm the man Who Loves You, and Pot Kettle Black, Tweedy and Co. provide enough radio-friendly pop to make you scratch your head at the Reprise execs who said this record was a "career-ender". The world would be a better place if War On War and I'm the Man Who Loves You were booming out of car stereos this summer. That said, this album is chock full of darkness and weirdness as well. Kicking off with "I am Trying to Break your Heart" lyricist Jeff Tweedy takes a haiku-like approach to describing drunken lovesickness. Yeah. And Radio Cure reminds me of noneother than Radiohead, its glum, moody, intriguing and ultimately cathartic. Jesus, Etc. has a great rolling feel accented by a slippery fiddle line and strings that hum out of nowhere and nearly assure that this will lodge in your ears and remain there for a very long time. Ashes of American Flags might make you shiver, its a cold poem on the state of affairs out here in the west. Reservations ends the album eloquenly, gorgeously, and ultimately grounds an album that is dissecting untruths, misundersatandings and miscommunication with one important truth. You have to get there through the album to truly appreciate it. What links the songs is a sonic pallette full of blips, radio pops stops and starts, guitars, horns strings, all forms of odd sounds and fillers pushed through filters, a rhythmic complexity never achieved on a Wilco record, and the poetry, which is VERY non-linear and disassociative, but, taken as a whole, beautiful and imbued with a codified consistency. Its an experience. Its a band that is changing, both in personnel and sound. Its an experience. Its a leap of faith. Take it with them.Free Music Review: So Good.
Hit: 5 Stars
This is, by far, the most astonishing yet mesmerizing collection of music I have ever heard. Opening with the strange yet beautiful "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," the album takes off into a wierd blend of pop, electronica and country. "Kamera" is rather poppy, but is still very good. Now, although I have always seen "War on War" as a sort of emotional lead-in to "Jesus, Etc.", it deserves to be recognized in its own right as a good, catchy tune with wonderful lyrics. "Jesus, Etc." is certainly one of, if not the best song on this album, and that is saying something. With a beautiful, quiet beat that matches the lyrics perfectly, it coalesces into a beautiful harmony, that in the right situation (such as a rainy night on the open highway) creates a beauty that has brought me to tears repeated. "Ashes of American Flags" really DOES bring to mind a sort of "ground zero" effect, as one reviewer put it, leaving the audience with a feeling of a sad emptiness rendered in black and white. A cute pop tune, "Heavy Metal Drummer" is a fun return to a happier day from the melancholy of its predecessors. It has all the elements of a good pop song: catchy lyrics, a nice consistent beat, and well-played instruments. "I'm the Man that Loves You" is hardly a poor song, but it is really just more of the same (but not in a bad way). "Pot Kettle Black" I still appreciate more every time I hear it. The instrumentals and the wonderful melody are such that no words can do it justice, and "pop" is a term far too sullied by Britney Spears and 'N Sync to be applicable. I like to think of "Poor Places", in addition to being one of the greatest tracks on the disc, as a sort of transition between the beautiful catchiness of "Pot Kettle Black" to the deep, liquid ambience of "Reservations". The end of this disc is something that you cannot "listen" to per se, you have to feel it. Lie back, relax, and let the sound wash over you. Although at first it may seem to be random noise, you will soon realize that it is an aural ocean, whose depths a review can hardly penetrate. I really suggest that you give this album a chance to be good: a good long chance at that. It takes time to appreciate, but once you do, not only will you be stunned by its sheer beauty, but it will open your mind to a whole new world of music.