Friday, August 3, 2012

Wilco AM

A.M.

A.M., Wilcos debut album is full of honest and catchy songs with a real and powerful emotional directness. They range from the humorous, to rocking, to bittersweet and lovely. I find myself singing along with every song and it's stayed in my CD player for the last couple of weeks. It's a strong album that retains the country feel of Jeff Tweedy's previous band Uncle Tupelo but ups the rock energy a la the Rolling Stones circa the early '70s and mixes that with a little vibe from Neil Young. With each subsequent album Wilco's country influence decreased and their lyrical sophistication increased as they morphed into a more modern rock/pop band. By the time of A Ghost Is Born the country sound was largely gone, replaced by sonic experimentation and an almost psychedelic aesthetic. But on A.M. Wilco play it closer to their Tupelo roots and deliver a great meat and potatoes country rock album. Because of the simplicity and directness of A.M., for me it's their most accessible album.

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