Last year, Wilco completed their latest album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." But their record label, Reprise, rejected their fourth, and quite possible best, studio album and kicked them off the label. So now the album has been released on a reprise subsidiary, Nonesuch.
"I am Trying to Break Your Heart" is filled with impassioned metaphors that tell the story of lost love. Lead Singer Jeff Tweedy's melancholy vocals empower the soft tapping of the piano and light drum beat. Forgetting about the "tongue-tied lightning," the transition to the next song, "Kamera," is quick and simple. While Tweedy croons that things aren't all right, the lyrics prove otherwise: "I wanna know why/To my eye deciding/Which lies I have been hiding/Which echoes belong." The basic nature of the words displays the true complexity behind the meaning of the song.
On "Radio Cure," the whistling of the wind and crashing of waves in the background lend mysteriousness to the haunting vocals and strangely melodic guitar and drum. While not having a strong presence on the track, they effects impart an enhanced sound to the distorted electronic.
Moving away from the depression of earlier tracks, "War on War" boosts the feel of the album. This upbeat and unexpectedly jovial tune is untainted by the lyrical message. The rips on the wa-wa bar add productivity to the implication that, "You have to learn how to die if you wanna be alive." The fast-paced electronic beats offer the same sort of sound that the French band, Air, uses in their music.
"Jesus, etc." samples and adapts the Motown classic "I'll Be Around" to indie rock. Proclamations of love of the song are furthered by a heart-felt sorrow in Tweedy's voice. The innocence behind the religious imagery and metaphysical reach truly empower the track's sentiment.
While not anti-Americana, "Ashes of American Flags" has a whininess that speaks to the general culture of the United States. Mainly apathetic, the faded instrumentation qualifies that universal sensation. The heavy distortion in closure is reminiscent of the same power behind Nine Inch Nail's smash hit "Closer."
"Heavy Metal Drummer," in contrast, has a sound that in no way reciprocates the connotation of the title. Rather, it speaks to the good old days of youth and rock and roll: "Unlock my body/Move myself to dance/Into warm liquid/Flowing blowing glass/Classical music blasting/Masks the ringing in my ears."
Starting off with a hardcore Lenny Kravitz-style guitar introduction is "I'm the Man Who Loves You." This song truly speaks to a signature sound. An amalgam of other bands can be heard in the music of Wilco: Weezer, The Strokes, Air, Modest Mouse, Lenny Kravitz and others. Successfully extracting all the best elements of these bands, Wilco powerfully dominates an alternative industry where music is not wrapped in cellophane and awash with bubble-gum pop.
Rolling Stone Magazine praises the album as "an earthy, moving psychadelia, 11 iridescent country songs about surviving a blown mind and a broken heart." Yet there is not much of the sound from the south on this record. Instead there is a smooth electronic beat enhanced by passionate vocals and a unique sound.
Wrapping up the album are "Pot Kettle Black," "Poor Places" and "Reservations." While each possesses a unique sound, collectively enigmatic and highly dramatized music are common ties throughout these last three tracks.
Wilco's garage-art splendor is key in pushing this album. The band possesses an unwashed nitty-gritty sound that has a splendor that is lacking in most of today's rock and roll music. My suggestion is to go out and buy the latest from Wilco because, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is cutting edge and sure to revolutionize an industry predominantly concerned with sex appeal and syndicate.
