Wilco
A Ghost Is Born
Nonesuch

Is this still alt-country? Have I accidentally downloaded the wrong album? I could swear I logged onto Soulseek and searched for "Wilco". Did I accidentally search for "Yeah It's Wilco, but only not as good and with some really annoying bits added just to make you angry".

Jeff Tweedy and his cohorts are just.... far too weird to still be called alt-country. This album, A Ghost Is Born, completes the transition from alt-country into weird prog-rock that was begun on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Only they forget to break things up occasionally with some finely crafted pop moments. Which is something that they did not forget to do on YHF.

Damnit. This new Wilco album contains a track that is 12 minutes of static and feedback. Track 11, "Less Than You Think" starts off pretending to be a normal song for a while, but then at the 3 minute mark it just looses the plot and breaks down into high pitched feedback. Claims Tweedy in interviews, this is meant to be an aural replica of the migraines that drove him to his abuse of pharmaceuticals.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all in favour of artists that use their music to express the pain in their lives. But there is a fine line between trying to communicate that pain and trying to cause that pain. There is only so much high pitched squealing you can listen to before you jump to the next track. Where "Reservations" on YHF dabbled in strange repetitive prog-rock noises that were interesting, "Less Than You Think" is just straight up annoying.

But there are still some nice tracks. Wilco are one of these bands that excel at slowing down just enough to create that sort of music that might be regarded as "easy-listening" but not so much that you find yourself becoming bored or inclined to switch off. Well most of the time. "muzzle of bees" is nice. As is "Company In My Back" and "The Late Greats".

It's a nice album. It just needs to be more consistent and contain less of the "hey everyone look at me im a tortured artist who gets a few heachaches from time to time".

ExistAngst rates this album 6/10.