Wilco

Mermaid Avenue

The Way of the Sirens

Review Score:

(8/10)
It is a fitting tribute to Bragg as politcal commentator, and all the more as a song-writer, that Nora Guthrie chose him for this project above any American musician. It is a telling reflection on the entire music industry that an urbane London socialist had to be called in to finish the life work of a man who is the quintessence of the American rustic of that most quintessentially American time, the depression. I can only assume that is why the services of Wilco were brought in in the project. Luckily, everything comes together perfectly. Bragg avoids sentimentality the way only a cockney former-soldier can. Yet, all his songs retain the ardour of politics and passion which he can call his own. From the understated empathetic rendering of "Eisler on the go" to the overwhelming lust for "Ingrid Bergman", Bragg once again reaffirms his role as musician, and not a mere lyricist. Woody Guthrie comes across most clearly, however, on those songs performed by Jeff Tweedy. Tweedy gives the album the neccessary twang that suggests he is a Tom Waits-in-waiting. Most notable for this sensitivity to the sensibilities of its writer is "At my window sad and lonely" This is a great album, not least because it so clearly shows the progression of protest song writing from the McCarthy-ism right through to today's consumerism. But this is an album which is sufficiently self-aware that it doesn't need to rest on the laurels of being of cultural significance. While Bragg and Wilco nodded respectfully to Guthrie, they were not restrained by his material. The result is great lyrics, great music and great fun. There will always be something to protest against, and for that true music fans should be grateful.

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