Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
2001
Album Summary
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by American rock band Wilco, first released on September 18, 2001. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2000. These sessions, which were documented for the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, were marred by conflicts including a switch in drummers and disagreements among the band members and engineers about songs. Despite this, the album would be completed in early 2001. The album showcased a more atmospheric and experimental sound than the band's previous work, and has been described as art rock and indie rock by music critics. It was the band's first album with drummer Glenn Kotche, and last with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett. Reprise Records, Wilco's record label at the time, refused to release the album as they felt unhappy about the end result; this would lead to Wilco's departure from Reprise. The band subsequently acquired the rights to the album and later streamed the entire album for free on their website on September 18, 2001. In November of that year, Wilco signed with Nonesuch Records, who gave the album its first official retail release on April 23, 2002. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot received widespread acclaim from music critics at release, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000s. It is also Wilco's best-selling work, having reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.
WikipediaThere are, in my estimation, only a couple of sins in music that are entirely unforgivable, and chief amongst them is to be boring. And that's my problem with this, an album that seems to have garnered plaudits and critical acclaim off the back of very little. For all the sonic bells and whistles, this is such a monotone-sounding collection; unvarying in tempo, tone or ambition. The melodies are boring; Jeff Tweedy has a boring voice; the bing-bong-whizz sound effects (or should that be affects?) are boring. I hate this album with a rare passion.
Cohesive as an album and has some interesting sounds, but those elements never quite combine. It's weird to say, since that should undermine the overall cohesion. Perhaps that means I'm not quite getting it. But the effect is that listening to the LP puts me halfway between "This is almost very good." and "This is nice background noise."
Pretty boring album, there's some decent songs in the middle but it starts off with nothing and ends with nothing, I was not impressed with most of the songs on this album
How the fuck are there two Wilco albums in this list? It's alright, but hardly noteworthy. Christ, what if there's more? Fun fact: Wilco sleeps upside down.
I'm glad I listened to this album through my good headphones. The instrumentation is more interesting than I've given it credit for in the past. Dad loved Wilco, and I'm glad I can finally connect with it too. I'll listen to this album again.
Oh my... what a breath of fresh air! I've heard of Wilco but never taken the time to hear them out. This is the perfect bridge between Guster and Bright Eyes. They are sensitive with substance, but never whiny. Now that would be good enough to get my attention, but they make great use of distortion, sounds, and beats to really add some depth. The autoplay for youtube after this album suggests a day in the life by the beatles and I would agree that this album shares a lot with that track. My first impression was a 3 star album due to the lofi sound, but it grew to a 4 with the emo substance and then a 4.5 with the progressive instrumentals. A phenomenal record!
A little over a month ago I gave a mixed review of Wilco's Being There but said I was looking forward to the "indieheads essential" YHF. Well here we are. And color me impressed, every track stands out... no filler. Simple melodies, some catchy, some super experimental, with an aesthetically pleasing folky voice that reminds me of Sufjan Stevens. By far, the star of the album is the creative songwriting, covering themes of angst and existential dread. I really love the lyrics. My favorite is on "Ashes of America." Lyrics are full of literary devices that evoke imagery that speaks of the narrator's twisted and often flawed mindset. Vocals perfectly reflect the melancholic tone. Experimental techniques often reinforce the confusion and anxiety. However, this is also a double-edged sword, it gets a little too obscure. Especially in that first song. It took me a few listens to come up with some attempt of what they're talking about, and then to read interpretations online. "Oh so he's a drunk driver who improves his alcoholism from the size of an aquarium to a dixie cup." This can be a distracting (or engaging) experience for new listeners, making it slightly inaccessible since the songwriting is the main shine. The other fault that prevents this album from being perfect is the cohesion of the album. The songs stand really well on their own, and could be improved by some track reshuffling. But as is, the moods expressed in one song get totally disrupted by the next. "War on War" ends chaoticly, then immediately goes to a melodic and soothing "Jesus etc," then the deep introspective and political "Ashes of American Flags," then to the catchy pop "Heavy Metal Drummer." I'm not sure what to feel because it doesn't give me time to breath and prepare for different emotions. The intro "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" and closing "Reservations" perform their roles well respectively, but the rest either needs to be reshuffled or placed on different albums.
This album is LOVELY. Just out there enough that you can see a few wee aliens. But warm enough it’s like a big hug that smells like weed. Class.
It was on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot that Jeff Tweedy's obsession with deconstruction and the studio reached its apotheosis. Tweedy always wrote simple songs, often based on Americana, which gave him the freedom to screw around with attenuating the structures, adding dissonant elements and noise, and subtracting or layering elements, all in the service of asking the question, "What makes a song work?" and laying bare the artifice of the studio. Fortunately for us listeners, Tweedy's obsessions aren't simply academic--his layering is often gorgeous and never more than on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Nowadays, it's common for bands to have heavily ambient elements and noise jostling for attention alongside more conventional song structures. I would bet that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has a lot to do with that. Also Eno, industrial music from the 80s, and a bunch of other influences, but I digress. The songs on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot work both as deconstruction and as catchy tunes. You don't have to be a music geek to enjoy Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it definitely deepens the experience.
This is an easy one. This is one of my absolute favorite albums of all time, maybe even top 5. Every single song is good, and several of them are great. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is the perfect first song for this album, and it just keeps going from there. The album is sad and sweet, but also revels in some happy moments, like War on War and Heavy Metal Drummer. I'd also recommend the documentary about the making of this album if you can find it (titled: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart) 5/5
Fourth Wilco album. They made a documentary about the making of. Their drummer was fired at the beginning of the sessions, and a guitarist was fired after the album was made. A good listen.
The most successful Wilco's album. Great calm and melancholic mix of art-rock / indie rock. Recording sessions were documented for the film "I Am Tryind To Break Your Heart". Reprise Record refused to release the album because they felt unhappy about the end result so the band streamed the album for free on their website in 2001. Later in 2002 the album was oficially released by Nonesuch Records and critics acclaimed the album as one of the grratest albums of the 2000s.
I bought three of Wilco's albums before this one. While I never bought Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I was given as a present the documentary on making this album. There was a lot of drama around this album with the drummer leaving just before the recording and guitarist / co-songwriter Jay Bennett leaving just after. To top it off, Reprise (their label) refused to release the record. Wilco paid Reprise peanuts to buy out their rights to the record and then signed with the label Nonesuch who paid Wilco much more than Wilco paid Reprise. fyi, Warner Brothers owns both Reprise and Nonesuch. GONG! On the first song the drums are more conspicuous than on any other Wilco song; the drummer clearly wanted to let everyone know there was a new sheriff in town. lol The album has a smattering of upbeat songs and many of the typically very quiet introverted ballads that populate Wilco’s albums. The experimental music in the last 30 sec. of Poor Places and all of Reservations doesn't work for me. It was worth a try I guess; I understand musicians wanting to try new things but this didn't work for Wilco and should have been left on the cutting room floor. The experimental accents on I'm Trying to Break Your Heart are quite good. The differentiator between this song and Reservations is that the experimentation is an accent rather than the main course. Jeff's pensive voice on ballads is an acquired taste. On “Being There", Wilco’s second album, the songs with strong rhythms were so good you were motivated to play the whole album and invest the time to get to know (and get to like) the ballads. There are good songs with strong rhythms on this album, including Kamera, Heavy Metal Drummer and I'm Trying to Break Your Heart. War on War is also good. I can imagine that previous iterations of this song sounded like a nice Jeff Tweedy ballad that all but devoted Wilco fans would hate but it was then engineered to produce a catchy and experimental beats oriented tune. While the songs with strong rhythms are good, they're not on par with Wilco's best.
It was okay. Generally inoffensive, but not that exciting. Not sure I really needed to hear it before I die. Feels like it might be a grower... Seems I was right about it being a grower. Enjoying it more on second listen. Some really nice guitar sounds. Vocals reminiscent of Mark Everett. Don't think it will ever be a favourite album, but I like it enough to revisit again.
I think if I didn't read your reviews before listening I wouldn't have spent the whole thing thinking: 'There's no way this is a five star album' then maybe I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It was great in parts but also just not that good boys, I'm sorry, I'm bringing it down
Two or Three good Songs but as a whole quite Boring. Too centered around lead Singer/lyriks. Lacks the melodic elements and dynamics to excite.
The album is just so lifeless and uninspiring and never picks up. Greatly lacks rhythm and anything truly memorable. But not bad enough to not have in the background at the very least.
The first listen went by a little unnoticed. So I played it again. There were parts that got my attention but nothing that really grabbed me by the balls.
I wanted to like this more. This seems to be in my musical wheelhouse, but it came to me an competent but generally uninteresting. It began to blur together.
I don't really know what to take from this album. Is it iconic because this sound was the first in a wave of bands cutting albums like this later? This album has interesting stuff in terms of sonic textures but I don't see the cohesive whole where I care about it? I don't give a shit about this album.
NO! Just fucking no! Every algorithm in existence suggests that my indie-pop, singer-songwriter soul should love Wilco, and worship this goddamn album. I've tried. I really have. Took a long hiatus from it. Trying again in good faith via this site. Just a whiney, whiney nasely warble dragging my ears across a very lame, non-energetic blob of dull. Fucking no. Wilco annoys me.
Transcendent. This album was originally scheduled to release on 9/11, yet it somehow captures the post-9/11 ethos perfectly. It's also fresh today. Complex in all the right ways, without sacrificing listenability or accessibility. It's cliche for hipsters to fawn over this album, but in this case, they're right. Best track: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
A longtime favorite, captures a piece of America that I wish we could go back to
I fucking love this band! I've been listening to Wilco for a long time now, and this is their best album. period. from lyrics, to the instrumentals and just the feel of the album, it's one of my favorites.
Listened to this album on repeat for a year when it came out. LOVE LOVE LOVE. so sad that this incarnation of wilco didn't stick around for longer.
Yet another album that I've never heard from prior to listening... but this one is different from most of the other 'hidden' albums that I've never heard of. It's so good, wow. My favourite songs are I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Kamera and Jesus etc, but I enjoyed all of them. 5/5 stars.
Holds up spectacularly well on a first listen in years after touting it to one and all upon its release. Restive and off-kilter but always compelling. There’s a conventional song somewhere inside “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart;” thankfully the band and the producer stuck to their guns to give us this one.
A successful combination of great songwriting, unusual production and a captivating sound.
Wilco has several great albums. Sometimes I tell myself my favorite is something different than this one, but this is just a straight up masterpiece in every sense of the word.
4.5/5. Nice early 2000s low-key, richly textured indie classic. Good stuff
yeah it’s easy to hear the inspiration in modern rock & indie music from this one. pot kettle black 🔥
A rare album in this list that I've listened to a few times, and held off on rating for quite a while. I was familiar with this album prior, but never listened to it (aside from one attempt where I stopped after "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"). Feels very... fall-into-winter. Each song is varied, with a wide array of instruments, and some noise elements thrown in between. Great segues into each song... I fought myself, but I feel like this is a record that I'll revisit every once in a while, maybe sit down and have a drink with. I'm glad I gave it some time. Some surface listens didn't do it justice. Favorite tracks: "Radio Cure", "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", "War on War", "Jesus, Etc.", "Pot Kettle Black"
10/10 awesome art rock, really good shit I gotta listen to their other stuff now
Amazing album. Truly a chronicle of destruction and creation of the new Wilco that came after the work and influence of Jay Bennet.
Sadboy indie rock classic. Simple but with a lot of flavors. A familiar sound that is also cutting edge. Relatable lyrics. “I am trying to break your heart” and “Jesus Etc.” are staples of the genre.
Phenomenally laidback and gloomy, I love the cohesiveness and expressiveness on display in this.
Thoughtfully crafted and excellently written, it sits somewhere between Weezer and Radiohead in sound. I really liked this, I thought this was superb.
C'est weird dans le bon sens. J'aime ce style, c'est plein de genre mélangé. Certaines chansons sont très pop et s'écoute super bien. D'autres chansons avec Guitares saturés plus rock. Un beau mélange et une belle forme pour une super album. Je met un 5 pour pouvoir y retrouner mais l'album est un 4.85 pour moi
I unabashedly love this album. I read that it was reviewed as “an Americana Kid A” and I can only sagely nod in tacit agreement. Nothing further needs be said.
The "Pet Sounds" of Indie Rock. Or maybe it's Indie Rock's "Dark Side Of The Moon" depending on one's theory as to how it syncs up with 9/11. Wilco became somewhat unfairly labeled as "Dad Rock" on subsequent albums (they released at least 3 more great albums after this one). That's probably because their music became more accessible than complex Jeff Tweedy said the goal here was to make something he'd never heard before, instead of sounding like a "really good rock band". Fortunately, the end result is both. Wilco found the perfect marriage of complex and accessible. And we're rewarded by listening to a fantastic rock band exhaust themselves to create their masterpiece.
Well well well. This is what all the fuss is about I guess! Another band whose name pops up in places, but you never ever here any music from them anywhere. But i loved this. I guess alt-country made a few reaches for the populace a couple big times in the 2000's before finally breaking through in recent years. This is just a nice sound, like a very American Belle and Sebastian, one of my favorite bands. And of course, its nice and gloomy, which is important, because when I am working, I am very gloomy, and it helps to have a soundtrack to my heaviness, as I trudge forward with copying and pasting, shifting windows, answering IM's, trying to remember what I was doing before Sally IM'd me about where she put her file, and then waiting for a slow website to load while I stare at the screen in 5 to 8 seconds of limbo - enough time to recognize my intractable state but not enough time to dislodge myself. Wilco knows this, and Wilco reassures me that its OK, it is the way it is for them too, perhaps for so many of us who plug ourselves into the feeding tube of our masters in hopes that we will win a few hours of joy after our minds bodies are sufficiently drained. Thanks for understand, Wilco.
Nice early 21st century alt rock that I enjoyed then and enjoy now. There is a lot of interesting arranging and instrumentation that sets this above some of the more generic albums of this era. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot holds up for me. I like hearing it again.
Trying to break my heart? That's not that hard to do. And it's extra tender today so maybe this doesn't mean much but break my heart it did. (And I wasn't even really paying much attention to the lyrics.) Melancholy vocals over sad piano on a gray and gloomy day felt just perfect.
When it comes to music discussion circles on the internet, this is the Wilco album I see getting praised the most. I had already developed an appreciation for Jeff Tweedy's songwriting on their sophomore album Being There, so expectations are already high. Already notable is the band's shift away from their alt-country sound into a more artsy-leaning indie rock. The opening track, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, is intricately mixed and performed. While it comes across as disjointed and messy on the surface, the production of the song exhibits a certain purposefulness in how each instrument supports one another through the sound. Despite it sounding mostly unlike the other songs on the album, this sort of studio work combined with Tweedy's songwriting will set expectations for the rest of the runtime. It's unmatched. Little things are what makes Yankee Hotel Foxtrot so special. The soft drumming keeping time on Radio Cure, the tinny piano on Ashes of American Flags, the unidentifiable bass-sounding instrument about 3 minutes into Poor Places followed by the numbers radio broadcast repeating "Yankee. Hotel. Foxtrot. Yankee. Hotel. Foxtrot. Yankee. Hotel...." I cannot stress how good the production is on this album. This is Pet Sounds for the 21st century. Credit goes to Jim O'Rourke for his ability to bring Tweedy's songs and Wilco's performances to perfection. I should also credit Jay Bennett who is a songwriter for Wilco alongside Tweedy. Bennett would pass away in 2009 at the age of 45, so I feel this album is a fitting way to remember his legacy. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is an achievement for western popular music, proving that attention to detail does not go unnoticed. It is a beautiful body of work that transcends genre. It speaks for itself. It's perfect.
By any measure a great collection of songs, brilliantly produced and delivered, haunting and atmospheric, smart and engaging. Talent everywhere, repeat listening rewarded.
Classic; heard this one a bajillion times. They’re very good at molding folk music with experimental sounds
Actually enjoyed the most listened to song the least, but the rest was solid
i love wilco so much so im biased - summerteeth is def my favorite by them even though this is more popular. jesus etc is a classic
Reminds me of Dave Yeats. Enjoyed "Heavy Metal Drummer" as well as "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" a lot.
"I always thought that if I held you tightly You would always love me like you did back then Then I fell asleep in the city kept blinking What was I thinking when I let you back in?" (I am trying to break your heart) "You were right about the stars Each one is a setting sun" (Jesus, etc.) War flashbacks del año que hice selectividad. ¡Este disco es mucho más cursi de lo que recordaba!
Excellent vibe - evocative, finely-crafted songs, with interesting noise bits in between.
For anyone that liked Elliott Smith but wished he was just a little bit less miserable.
Ich liebe die erste Hälfte, die zweite kenne ich noch nicht, viel betrunkene Ästhetik und ich liebe Hesus, etc.
Some lyrics aged badly but still very good, maybe it's nostalgia talking
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco: 7/10 “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” is an interesting roller coaster of an opener, somewhat chaotic, but it works. “Kamera” is a much more straightforward alt country garage rock jammer. “Radio Cure” has some interesting instrumentation going on in the background, but Tweedy’s vocals kinda make me want to die in this track, ngl. “War on War” is probably the funnest track thus far with a cool psychedelic synthy sound effect playing behind those classic Wilco grungy guitars. “Jesus Etc” is by far the smoothest most straightforward track I’ve come across on the record so far, and I feel it incorporates really well all the musical elements that I like about Wilco. One of my favorite songs of all time by them. “Ashes of American Flags” is what we’d call “experimental” and I’m not sure if that’s in a good way… “Heavy Metal Drummer” is another one of those tracks that reminds me of drives around town with my Dad, straight nostalgia. “I’m the Man Who Loves You” is another fun little song with great guitar work and captivating instrumentation. “Pot Kettle Black” draws back the energy a bit and pumps up the Wilco country grunge. “Poor Places” starts out strong then collapses into chaos that drags on for a little too long. We close off the album with “Reservations,” Wilco’s version of a soft rock ballad that fades hauntingly away into oblivion… Conclusion: A classic turning point in the timeline of alt rock, this grungy garage rock record might not be for everyone, but it holds a special place in my heart. 7/10
Big improvement from the first album of theirs this list gave me. It’s wild how much they can sway between being outstanding and me finding them totally average. This album has some of their all time classics so it was a great listen.
VOTI I Am Trying to Break Your Heart – 3.5 Kamera – 4 Radio Cure – 4 War on War – 3 Jesus, Etc. – 5 Ashes of American Flags – 3 Heavy Metal Drummer – 2.5 I'm the Man Who Loves You – 3 Pot Kettle Black – 3.5 Poor Places – 4 Reservations – 2.5 AVG 3.45 Pros Non seguo i Wilco ma conosco bene quest'album e mi piace come suona, la sua atmosfera e com'è strutturato. Ha un sacco di sfumature che vanno dal pop a sound più sperimentali. Cons Ogni tanto si accolla: tipo sui soli di chitarra, oppure sui finali in caciara, quando diventano una cosa noise, tipo che partono mille pad e soundscapes a caso, come se un gatto camminasse sulle tastiere. Conclusione Procedendo con l'ascolto dell'album, il mio apprezzamento è stato calante, con una media finale di 3.45. A pelle mi sento di promuovere il mio voto finale a 4 perché comunque, nonostante tutto, nell'insieme mi ha trasmesso molto.
Punt d'inflexió en la carrera de la banda, que per mi es tracta més aviat de la sublimació dels discos previs, aquí donant ja plena llibertat a la distorsió i l'emborronament amb guitarres i mur de soroll de les melodies pròpies de la casa
This album is a bit frustrating for me because it has one absolutely brilliant masterpiece - Jesus etc, but its pulled down by a bunch of mediocre-good songs. Jesus etc probably ranks as one of my all-time favourite songs by ANY band and its on par with Wilco's other masterpiece Impossible Germany. Jesus starts out with some lovely violin-viola strings and a melancholic string guitar solo around mid-way but what really pulls the song together is Jeff Tweedy's bobbing vocals that paints a very bitter-sweet background. The rest of the album is merely good. You can hear Jim O'Rourke's influence in the mixing with lots of experimental loops and ambient background noise, but it doesn't quite make for a consistent or coherent album, so that gets a one star deduction from me.
EEZ good Spacey when needs to be and tight for big lifts and sections All the little dubs and accompanying sfx are cool Lame review 2 Electric Boogaloo
I'm not into every Wilco does, but overall this album is solid. It's been a very long time since I heard this album. There's always this sort of tired feeling to Wilco songs, they don't go all the way and are a bit restrained in their energy, but it fits their style (and age now). Indie Tiredcore? Everything feels like somewhat whimsical sad confessionals, definitely has that early 2010s energy, you can hear all the influences in later indie bands of that decade. I also enjoy some of the little experimental instrumental flourishes that most bands would not include, but it adds a depth to it that I think most don't execute well.
"I am Trying to Break Your Heart" is one of my favorite songs. There are a few songs I really don't like on this album, but a number of really great songs too. Not a masterpiece as an album, but an album with some masterpieces.
Solid indie rock album. Possibly one of the staples of the genre. The lyrics are deep and melancholy. The music is upbeat, unique and the sounds of various instruments makes it unique. Jesus etc. is an amazing song. This is a great album. 8.3/10
Great album. One you can listen to again and again. Worthy of being on the list.
This was a hard one, and I listened to it a few times. This album has quite a reputation, partially as a result of its history (which I only know vaguely). I love the sound design. It is weirdly recorded and played, with lots of noise, distortion, collage and extraneous sound, which I find enormously appealing, but I can see how it is not mainstream. It is unusual to find this is an a gentle/semi-acoustic album (as that approach is often more common in industrial records, that are more into sound design). It reminds me of Grandaddy, which I also love. The songs are clearly growers. They didn't grab me at first listen, but I can tell that they could grow a lot. I intend to come back to this album and give it the time and attention that I think it needs. This could end up being a real favourite (but needs time).
Relatively calm listening that can capture your attention when you least expect it, revealing a darker album than initially expected. One of those albums where you kind of need its Genius page pulled up just to appreciate the lyrics much more.
Je pense que c'est un secret pour personne, mais j'étais bel et bien dans un train lors de l'écoute de cet album. Un moment assez inconfortable puisque en plein milieu de celui-ci, une annonce résonna dans le wagon : "Mesdames et messieurs bienvenue à bord du Ouigo numéro 7652 à destination de Paris Montparnasse. En raison des restrictions en vigueur, nous vous demonderons de porter un masque pendant toute la durée du trajet. D'autre part, nous avons détecté la présence de robferroviaire à bord, il se trouverait dans le wagon 5. Je vous demanderais de venir trouver le commandant de bord si vous disposez d'une quelconque information sur sa localisation." Je subis à partir de là un torrent de regards suspicieux jusqu'à mon arrivée.
A couple of really great songs but the whole album has a lovely ‘texture’.
There are some really amazing songs and then just really mediocre songs. I wish I could rate it at 3.5. Standout song is 'Jesus, etc.', just so good.
An experimental album of eccentric arrangements and weird melodies. I like it :) (7/10) FT: Jesus, Etc, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
This was a much more enjoyable album that I thought! Wilco has a very interesting style and I wonder if any more of their albums will be on this list. Lots of fun ones on here like I'm the Man who loves you and Kamera. The kind of music that is perfect for a car ride.
Incredibly interesting instrumental details. Superb vibe music and a classic for sure.
Very good, but mot quite great. Even though I was 17 when this (first) came out, I had never heard any of these songs, probably because September 2001 had more important events happen the week before. I will definitely come back to this though, and explore their other albums when I get a chance.
I was surprised by how pleasant this album is. It’s somewhat homogenous in sound through the first half, but remains somehow compelling in many tracks. I appreciate the variety of instruments, sounds presented in this album; it’s clear that the production is well thought out and executed, giving it the feeling of depth offered by bands like Radiohead with a folksy, country twist. I like the breathing room in this album, its very windy, pleasant, a feeling of simplicity even with a relatively complex arrangement. However, this is certainly background music and does not require a lot of “active” listening nor does it command focus. It’s very easy to listen to and excellent background music for your day. I liked it more than I expected— I was ready for it to be a bit boring, flat, much like its cover art. I was pleasantly surprised by the way this band retains a 90’s feel while still staying true to that turn of the millennium it was born from. Not a lot of replay value or sing-along capacity, but certainly nice.
Extremely introspective album, you can definitely telling he had a lot of regrets in his life, with relationships and addiction. I liked the simple but diverse amount of percussion in this album. I also really liked cutting the music and the heavy breathing at the end, cause he just got so much off his chest and probably feels exhausted and relieved.
I might have writer's block but there is a lot going on on this album and it's beautiful. It made me think of late period Beatles, as well as Beck and The Flaming Lips.
This was a very enjoyable album to listen to. Just great Indie Rock. At some point I might come back when editing is added and give it a 5 after a few more listens, but right now I'm giving it a 4 because some of the scratchier sounds don't appeal to me as much.
Wilco is apparently a very popular band, but they've somehow eluded me. My stepfather loves them, so I've heard a few songs but never sat for an album. Overall I really liked this listen and added a lot of songs to my playlist. There were 2 or 3 songs I didn't really care for, they got a bit too depressing and trying for a Radiohead-lite sound, but aside from those the other more upbeat traditional alt rock tunes were great. Would definitely explore some more albums in the future.
Some really cool songs in the middle of the album. Starts slow but picks up!
Really enjoyed this album, knew a few songs beforehand but it was a great piece. On reflection the previous BDB album should have been 2 stars.
The two best songs are the ones I already knew going in: Heavy Metal Drummer and Jesus Etc. The rest of the album is alright and generally easy to listen to.
This album caught me in an exactly right mood for it. On a different day I would have most likely turned it off after 30 seconds and never came back to it. But that's not what happened. Never heard of the band before, so came into this listen completely oblivious. Judging by the cover I thought it would be some sort of melancholic synthy pop and I wasn't that far off. From the first seconds it became obvious that this was going to be a noisy and layered record with tons of ambient soundscapes in the background. And honestly, I think this creative layering saved this album. The songwriting was simple, yet effective. Nothing too crazy in the guitar department apart from distorted guitar parts in "I'm the man that loves you". Electric guitar in that track made my ears bleed. Out of place, out of tune and played horribly. It was definitely recorded like that on purpose, but still, my guitarist brain cringed quite a bit. Acoustic guitar parts sounded great though, as well as the little electric guitar licks that creeped up every once in a while. Simple chord choices worked well here, allowing the vocals and crazy synths, strings and sound effects to take centre stage when it's needed. The lead vocalist made his limited voice work on most tracks, providing simple and catchy melodies. Sounded a bit forced and pitchy at times though, but hey... at least he's authentic. You don't expect vocal craziness in singer songwriter sounding stuff anyways. Vocal harmonies in "War on war" fit really well, I wish they added more of that in the other tracks too. At times the lead vocal sounded a bit boring and dry. Anyway, the main elements that make this album interesting are production, layering and keyboard and string arrangement. I think there was even a brass part at some point. The mix reminded me a lot of early pink floyd and even some solo Roger Waters work. With a different producer this album would most likely flop. The mixing and mastering complements the music very well. Every little sound can be heard when you need it to be. The last two tracks sound especially great, even cathartic at times. It was hard to pull off all this noisy synthy sounds without the mix becoming a muddy annoying mess. But it worked. Will definitely come back to some of these songs on a cloudy day.
Nie jest to płyta rewolucyjna, ale miły głos, przyjemne linie melodyczne i fajne zabawy dźwiękiem sprawiły, że nie była tak nudna. Stawiam 4, może w obliczu ostatnimi czasy do bólu przeciętnych albumów
Calm melodies, distortions and a well done merge of electronics with classic instruments. I don't know why, but it just felt pleasant. Liked the ambient part, too. Highlight: Ashes of American Flags, Reservations
Even as the first impression, i'm convinced that this will keep interest and keep rewarding over many, many listens. Lovely variety and instrumentation, brave/weird choices, singalong writing and interesting lyrics. Definitely one to return to.
I started out a little bored but warmed up to the music by the end of the album
Love Wilco and this album is considered their magnum opus for good reason. It's truly iconic. One of the first country-ish albums I ever connected with so it'll always have a special place in my heart.
I'd only previously listened to 'Jesus, Etc' and based my opinion on the band as such- big mistake. No wonder their record company freaked out. I've listened to the album a couple of times and it's really quirky, odd and random in places. I'm pretty impressed by it- 'alternative rock'/Art rock pretty much sums it up. It's a bit downbeat too- not a happy lively album but I like it.
I always thought I liked Wilco, I just never listened to one of their albums all the way through. Now I know I like Wilco. The sensitive and light, emo sound of this album was an easy listen
Lots of mellow, purely musical bits that were really pleasant to listen to. Less about the percussions, more about the soft guitar. Good listen.
I found this hard to rate. I've liked this album for a long time, I couldn't say how many times I've played some if these tracks. Yet I don't think it's a 5 star album. Personally, I prefer Summerteeth but that can't really be held against this album. The only flae this album has in between the wonderful songs are some that are admittedly a little boring. So I think this will get a 4, a very enthusiastic 4. "Jesus, Etc" is definitely a 5 star song though. I'll never tire of it.
Not really heard much from Wilco. Enjoying it. Another play required to cement my enjoyment.
I always thought I lobed it very much and I do but it's only a handful of tracks and if we're looking at album as a whole it does get tiring and bland but still a very good album.
First, still love this album cover. Super cool art as it is, and reminds me of the brief but wonderful time I lived in Chicago. The album itself is excellent. I don't know a lot of Wilco's work, so I'm glad I got to listen to this one. Really solid music, original composition, interesting harmonic and melodic choices, some fun twists, and very well performed. I'd only heard a few songs by them before listening to this album and now I can say I'm a fan of the band.
Pretty good for indie rock. Didn't seem too whiny and there were some differences between the songs.
Listened to it twice in a row, will certainly listen to this more in the future. Really enjoyable Album.
Wilco ftw. Good album to commute to and I’ll likely return to it as a whole in the near future. Kinda sounds like if kid A fucked the bends, but he did it really nicely and smoothly so their baby wears flannels
This album is all about atmosphere. The introspective and thoughtful songs are elevated by the little details and ambient interludes which really fit and enhance the tone. A subtle album, but if you listen carefully it's a gem. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Jesus Etc. Date listened: 16/09/22
This is the most indie shit i've heard in a while, I would have loved this back in 7th grade. I like the drummer's style a lot. Some of the songs are kind of samey but there's definitely highlights and I enjoyed the listen 3.5/5 (4/5)
Bangs. Pot Kettle Black, Jesus, Etc., and Heavy Metal Drummer are my top 3. Overall fine album
Objectively a good album but feels like lab grown indie rock. Jesus etc. being the exception.
found this really depressing at the start to be honest, I don't know if it's just the lyrics or the music itself, and then it surprised my by becoming upbeat and kind of happy, enjoyed heavy metal drummer and pot kettle black
There was mega hype when this came out and to me it signaled the end of the "first wave of indie rock." I wasn't too thrilled with the songs back then but I closer listen two decades later and I get the attraction. There is something about the vocal performances that turn me off still but the instrumentation and songs are solid.
I never boarded the Wilco hype train, but this was better than I expected. Solid set of songs, with some nice standouts.
This is a bit hard to rate because as it went from song to song, I'd think, "Oh, this is really sloggy, noisy, and annoying!" but with the next one, "Wow, there are some really charming moments and it's got a nice sound!" Listening a second time, I found that I liked more of the songs than not, but the sloggy ones were really long and took up more time. However, since I really liked the songs I liked, I'm going to round up.
I first heard this album when it was new. I already had a respect for Wilco, but wasn't that familiar with their music. When Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released, the reception felt like this was the next Radiohead. I listened to it once or twice, but I just didn't understand what anyone loved about this album (just like my reaction to OK Computer). I didn't get it and Wilco was off my radar forever. When this album came up as my next listen, my first reaction was "Oh really?!? We're doing this again?" However, I did actually enjoy the listen this time. Nothing that knocks my socks off. Just a good solid album that almost piques my interest. The whole album just got me in the mood for Golden Smog, what I would consider a better version of Wilco. I was most engaged in the middle of the album (from Jesus Etc. to I'm The Man Who Loves You). At one point, near the end of Ashes of American Flags (I was doing yard work at the time), the lyric "All off the falling leaves filling up shopping bags" played while I was actually emptying my mower bag into the larger bin. Eerie, but appreciated. This album was definitely worth the second listen before I die. I may hear it again, I might not. It was a good experience though and I give thanks for the suggestion even though I was sceptical out of the gate. Edit: I realized the impression this album gives me... Pavement light.
I really enjoyed this album. Pretty confident my wife would enjoy and will have her check it out. Loved song #1, I am trying to break your heart. Added to playlist right when I heard it. Like more songs than disliked. Favorites include, Radio Cure. Loved the line, cheer up if you can, there is something wrong with me. Heavy metal drummer, Poor places and Reservations are also favorites along with I'm the man who loves you. Loved the line, "I always thought if I held you tightly, you would always love me like back then." Listened to a couple times today. Solid 3.5. will score 4. Will listen again.
That was interesting. A band that I had not heard before. Thay are difficult to categorise - at times they sound somewhat like Elvis Costello (at least that is what came to mind) but only at times. The catchall label if Alt/Indie would apply, but this applies to everything if you want it to. No real standout tracks, it is difficult to imagine any of these songs being radio friendly hits. The whole album was interesting enough to hold my attention most of the time
Þessi vinnur á við aðra hlustun, sem er merkilegt í ljósi þess að ég er ekkert sérstaklega hrifinn af röddinni, og stundum finnst mér lögin ekki vera að fara neitt. En hún hefur heilmikinn sjarma, og mig grunar að hún batni enn við þriðju hlustun.
It’s good, it’s good I like it there’s not a bad song but it feels really long.4/5
Let me say this is my fav Wilco album, and it is very good. However, I am not a big fan of Jeff's voice and wilcos songs always feel a mishmash of experimentation and traditional songwriting that does not work well in coherence. This album has some of the best examples of songs where these two aspects of wilco come together perfectly and create magic. Unfortunately, it still has songs that dont do that and suffer. 3.5/5