![]() But the second half, which comes after booming horns and a monotone guitar solo, has Tweedy returning to his same feelings, but this time around with a sense of triumph, as if he’s finally made the leap of admitting how he feels. The first shows a man nervous to make his true feelings known. “I’m the Man Who Loves You” plays like two very distinct halves. An early example of the band’s signature sound before they drifted into experimental realms, it typified the new alt-country crossover approach Wilco championed early on. An unlikely break-up song, it finds Tweedy questioning his lover’s reasons for leaving while also expressing confidence she’ll return, even if only to be a friend. Matthew OshinskyĪnother gem from Wilco’s stunning debut A.M., “Box Full of Letters” followed the same rootsy template established by their forbearer Uncle Tupelo, with a loping, bittersweet mid tempo rocker spun with homegrown sentiment, tattered emotion and unabashed honesty. As with many Wilco songs, the power is in Tweedy’s moldered voice, weary yet whimsical and a seamless fit for the tales of Guthrie’s dust-bowl dreamers, always pushing west toward paradise, but never quite finding it. “California Stars,” one of seven Wilco tunes (literally) on the record, takes a sweet-natured approach to the material, pairing an unrequited wish to quit working and live free in California with an equally simple and earnest song. In 1998, WIlco joined British punk cowboy Billy Bragg to compose music for a batch of unreleased Woody Guthrie lyrics, provided by Guthrie’s daughter, Nora. Nowhere is that contrast more evident is in the song’s music video, portraying the band smiling while playing their instruments as they skydive out of an airplane. While the lyrics don’t necessarily reflect the upbeat alt-country rock behind Tweedy’s voice, it’s easy to get lost in the foot stomping, fist-in-the-air guitar riffs and driving drumbeats. One of Wilco’s most commercially successful singles, “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” is a fun listen when most of the Chicago outfit’s songs are not. “Art of Almost,” the intricate seven-plus minute album opener to 2011’s The Whole Love, is standing proof that the generational rock group can seemingly do whatever it wants whenever it wants.- Max Blau Jeff Tweedy disproves any such doubts, recapturing our attention at a moment’s notice. Over the past several years and handful of Wilco albums, some have cast a little doubt on the Chicago sextet’s musical direction and fade into a relative sense of complacency. Lovely, plaintive and slightly anguished, it’s a song that suggests an uncertainty of starting from scratch, leaving the past behind and taking an unknowing step toward the future. “Roll another number for the road / You’re the only sober person I know,” Tweedy sings with a reflection and remorse that includes a plea for continued companionship and a steady hand to help guide him forward. Written in the aftermath of Uncle Tupelo’s bitter break-up, and included on the band’s debut album A.M., “Passenger Side” sounds like a mournful ode to old times. In particular, “Just Say Goodbye” stands as a bright spot thanks to Tweedy’s hushed vocals, Glenn Kotche’s lovely drumming and Nels Cline’s effortless, clean guitar parts. ![]() Although the record as a whole can feel tired at times, it maintains the inherent beauty of a Wilco record. Schmilco’s closing track is a solemn bookend to Wilco’s stalwart 10th effort from 2016. to last year’s Schmilco, to find their 30 best songs. But now, in the days since the release of Tweedy’s latest solo effort, Together at Last (you can read our review here and watch Tweedy play a solo version of “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” here), we’re sifting through Wilco’s studio albums and side projects, from 1995’s A.M. Drummer/composer Glenn Kotche has worked with So Percussion and Kronos Quartet (not to mention a kitchen sink in a Delta faucet commercial), and Nels Cline, one of the finest guitarists of his generation, has released a range of solo records. Multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and bassist John Stirratt played in The Autumn Defense, and Sansone has collaborated with bands like Radiohead and Dawes. ![]() Tweedy kickstarted Mavis Staples’s resurgence and started an eponymous band with his son. Of course, in addition to Wilco-specific projects, its members have branched out to other musical endeavors, as well. The band’s reach has only grown over the course of its 10 studio albums (of wholly original compositions). We featured a Wilco song way back in the day on our first-ever CD sampler, and our love for the Chicago alt-country pioneers has continued ever since, whether for their pop irreverence or serious experimental compositions. After more than two decades, we’re pretty convinced that Wilco can do no wrong.
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