Demob Happy

I’m The Man Who Loves You

8/10

It took me a long time to come round to Wilco. I had always wrongly thought of them as a square man’s Flaming Lips. While there are superficial resemblances between the two bands, Wilco’s experimental brand of alt-country is focused on more classic pop concerns. The sonic adventurism of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot lends additional quirkiness to many of the songs while establishing a conceptual whole. The squalls of radio static that ends the likes of ‘Ashes of American Flags’ add a threatening post-September 11th precariousness to the faux-naivity of many of the tracks. The nostalgic atmosphere of the album suggests more innocent times, as played out in the metaphor of radio-friendly pop carried through the airwaves. But the malevolence of the modern age simmers under the surface as if radio frequencies are accidently crossing, adding a bittersweet dischordance and sometimes threatening to subsume the music altogether. But for all the conceptualism, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is ultimately an album of great experimental pop songs in the tradition of the Beatles.

While Jeff Tweedy’s vocals can underwhelm, Wilco compensate with more melodies and ideas than many bands can count on in a career. Many of the songs on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot have the instantly recognizable air that great songs do, even if you haven’t heard them before. The melancholy slide guitar on ‘Ashes Of American Flags’, for instance, or the little violin refrain on ‘Jesus Etc’, and the burbling, propulsive electronics on ‘War On War’ - almost every song has a compelling identity and irresistible hookiness. You can easily forgive the riff on ‘Pot Kettle Black’ sounding very similar to The Cure’s ‘In-Between Days’. What seems amazing today is that Wilco had to fight to have this album released, as it was deemed so uncommercial by their record label. Yes, there are moments of wigged-out experimentation - no doubt influenced by studio maverick / multi-instrumentalist Jim O’Rourke - but crucially Tweedy and co. have not forgotten how to write great songs.

If you like this try aforementioned bands (The Beatles, obviously, and The Flaming Lips’ Soft Bulletin), ‘Gimme Fiction‘ by Spoon or ‘Shepherd’s Dog‘ by Iron & Wine.