Wilco

A Ghost Is Born

Wilco Goes to the Next Level

Review Score:

(10/10)
After their last two albums, Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco was beginning to be a highly experimental band that relied a great deal on added-in, synthesized, weird noises. Not that those albums weren't great--on the contrary, they're both excellent, and I highly recommend them. Summerteeth is very poppy, without a song on it that you couldn't pop onto the radio. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a bit more experimental, and relied even more on studio-made sounds.

But that's just why A Ghost is Born is so striking. Wilco takes a step back and becomes comparatively sparse. They have anywhere between one and three guitars, a piano, a synthesizer, a bass, and some drums. Nothing added in the studio, they can play it all on stage.

However, they haven't backed off a bit on the experimental, edgy side. This album is their most experimental one yet, with every song begging repeated listens. This album also has the greatest range. For instance, Summerteeth is basically up-beat (if rather dark) pop, with a few slower songs. Ghost has slow, heavy blues, Beatles-esque pop, more folksy stuff; if you like music, you'll like this album.

It opens with "At Least That's What You Said," a study in the melancholia brought on by a failing relationship and throwing all your cards on the table, hoping that you'll win. The song begins with bluesy piano and guitar, with Tweedy whispering in a pleading voice. Then there's a pause, and the heavy blues guitar sets in, and decides to stick around for a couple minutes.

"Hell is Chrome" comes up next, beginning with very bluesy, Randy Newman-espue piano. It continues with some bluesy riffs, and yet it's not blues. It's slow, again, and it has lots of hooks. The melody is interesting, and jumps around enough to keep it that way. The guitar is rather haunting, and fits the song perfectly.

Then, possibly the hardest song on the album, "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." Now, I have grown to love this song, but at first, I was rather dubious. With nonsense lyrics like, "Spiders are filling out tax returns," you might get dubious, too. But the rhythmic synth base, although repetitive, is just short enough so that when they start jamming over it, it's very cool, instead of trying to save the song. Although it takes more listens than the others, it's definitely a highlight of the album.

In "Muzzle of Bees," Tweedy shows some of his roots, with a more folksy song. One of the more poppy songs on the album, and lots of fun.

"Hummingbird" might--might--be the highlight of the album. Possibly the most poppy of the songs, but there's more to it than simply pop. The buildup to the end is great, and the upbeat piano juxtaposes the lyrics very nicely. It's a great toe-tapper, lots of fun.

"Handshake Drugs" is another song that has a pop feel, but it'd probably flop on the radio, since the lyrics are much too abstract and, like many other songs, it's just off slightly. Nothing that's bad, it just misses the pop mark; but it misses it on purpose.

"Wishful Thinking" is definitely one of my favorites. Tweedy brings up a great question. "What would we be without wishful thinking?" Once, I heard that, and it really stuck, and I thought, "What /would/ we be without wishful thinking?" Also, some great nonsense lyrics in this one, with great melody backing them up.

"Company in my Back" is another near-miss pop song. It's catchy, it's fun, it's really odd.

"I'm a Wheel" is a little more like late Beatles, with a bit of blues, a bit of pop, a bit of bizarre, and a lot of fun. It's a toe-tapper, with a fun melody, and great guitar riffs to accompany it. Another one of my favorites. However, that's one of the great things about this album: your favorites change every time you listen to it. Listen to it five times, and you'll have five different favorite songs. In an interview, Tweedy said half of art is what the audience draws from it, and it's very apparent that he's taken that to hard. You change moods, and these songs change with you.

Wilco takes us back to the Beatles again with "Theologians." Another toe-tapper, it brings a fun, up-beat chorus with a more experimental verse. The long feedback at the end of the song, though very cool if you're doing something else, can get a bit much. I admit that I hit the skip button a lot, if only because I'm listening in my car and want to hear as much of this album as I can before I get to where I'm going.

"Less Than You Think" is a great way to bring back the audience after "Theologians." It's very mellow, and settles you down. A great lead-in to...

"Late Greats," which is another pop-driven song that's too off for the radio. It's an upbeat, fun song with fun harmonies between the guitars, piano, and bass. It does feel a tad added-on, but it's a really fun song, and damned if I care.

If you're looking for some easy listening, this album is not for you. It takes serious thought and listening, and an appreciation for music. This albums takes a while. I'm still finding new things each listen, and I don't even know how many times I've played it. You can listen to the album three or four times a day, and still not get bored with it. There's always something new to find. When all's said and done, an amazing album that I would not pass up. Definitely one of the best albums of the year, and probably Wilco's best as well.

More Reviews: