Wilco’s self-titled album doesn’t innovate or re-invent the wheel. Jeff Tweedy and company don’t try to expand the parameters of the alt-country movement; they just wrote some songs and made an album. Eight albums into their career, that’s just fine. Wilco have rarely sounded so accessible.
Accessible is not a dirty word in this case. The music on this album is heavily influenced by the easy California country rock of the early ‘70s. The opening track, “Wilco the Song,” opens with shuffling drums, the right mixture of electric guitars and lap-steel and Jeff Tweedy’s relaxed vocals. The riff is simple and insistent, keeping pace with the drums. The music never changes, except for the bridge, which slows the tempo slightly. The slight change keeps the listener involved.
“Wilco the Song” is bookended by the next track, “Deeper Down,” which showcases the band’s slower, more introspective side. Both tracks are three minutes long, and both set the template for the rest of the album. The defining trait of “Deeper Down” is the guitar. Neils Cline’s mournful slide is reminiscent of Roy Orbison’s early work. The traditional laws of rock state that the guitar riff is the most important element of a song. On “Deeper Down,” the guitar provides gentle shading to Tweedy’s words.
As you listen to the album, the subtleties begin to emerge. The best example is “You Never Know.” The guitar tone sounds suspiciously like George Harrison during the Let it Be sessions. Towards the end of the solo, the melody of “My Sweet Lord” emerges. Little allusions like that make the album interesting.
Lyrically, Jeff Tweedy sticks to his usual themes. He sings about relationships, self-doubt and depression. The difference between Wilco and previous albums is that Tweedy sounds OK. It’s as if he is writing about these things, rather than experiencing them. He’s not actively trying to break your heart. On “Wilco the Song” he addresses this position in a self-deprecating manner, assuring the listener that Wilco will always love them. After several listens, it is unclear if Tweedy is talking to his fanbase or reassuring himself. The voice is ambiguous, which is probably why the lyrics work so well. “Country Disappeared” is the exact opposite, a moment of righteous indignation disguised as a gentle country ballad. It’s a bit weird hearing Tweedy deliver the line “We’ll fold ourselves into each others guts” as if it were a lullaby.
The weakest point of the album is “You and I,” a duet with Canadian indie-goddess Fiest. Fiest has a really lovely voice, but she doesn’t add anything to the song. She’s supposed to be the sweet voiced yin to Tweedy’s yang, but you can barely hear her. It’s supposed to be a duet, but she sounds like a backup singer. There is no real chemistry between them, so you don’t buy them as a couple. Isn’t that the point of a romantic duet?
It’s hard to say how Wilco will fall in the band’s catalog. There are going to be people who disagree with me, but I think it will be a perfect introductory album. It showcases what the band does really well, without being too intimidating. Wilco has made some truly remarkable records, but their depth can be intimidating. Wilco is a crash course, which is why it works so well.