Weaving an expansive patchwork of Americana, folk rock, and experimental indie rock, Wilco for ever make a name for themselves with their iconic fourth album, highlighting the best of their alternative country days and marking a shift to a far more minimalistic approach, featuring heavy effects, droning noise clips, and beautiful arrangements. Piano keys twinkle in front of effervescent synth lines; strings weep and dance about sorrowfully; Jeff's voice, as if he recorded the vocal tracks immediately after waking from his slumber, cracks and aches; yet the entire album is driving and forward-moving -- the life of one song rising from the smoldering embers of another --, and takes no stops to admire the scenery, as if presenting a panorama of a gray, lifeless wasteland. From the incredibly obscure and devoid imagery painted in "Ashes of American Flags" and "Reservations" -- two songs that capture the essence of emotional devastation and retrospective ideology highlighted in the album -- to the perfectly composed, lushly orchestrated tracks of "Heavy Metal Drummer" and "I'm the Man Who Loves You" -- a couple of the more cheerful, up-tempo yet similarly themed tracks on the compilation --, the album really delivers in every aspect and attempt, constituting an absolutely incredible work of art, and one of the band's bests.
By: Ms3abden