Editor's Pick for the Best Record of 2002
"Call my family/ tell them I'm lost," sings Jeff Tweedy on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, this year's best slab of sonic and poetic meat. And indeed, Tweedy and his band of intrepid musical adventurers, Wilco, seem to have found themselves sailing in waters previously uncharted. While most bands drift around the sheltered harbor of familiarity, clichés, and redundancy, Wilco is the most courageous and daring band to surface since Radiohead. In fact, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot may as well be called... Kid B.
Of course, that's not to say that Wilco is a cheap clone of the legendary Oxford quintet behind OK Computer and Kid A, two of the best records of the past ten years. If anything, Wilco proves that the two bands are in the same league with their new album, a complex and skillfully-crafted country/pop/electronica gumbo of epic proportions.
Lamentably, Wilco's innovative sound is frequently crammed into the narrowly-defined genre of "alt country"; a shame, really, because, while most "country" music you hear on the radio is just pop with a Southern accent, Wilco is more akin to back-porch, acoustic Americana.
Really, though, the aural realm of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a genre unto itself, a mishmash of other styles that have been melded into an emotive and intricate sound unlike anything I've ever heard before. Think of a rootsy, acoustic-based country sound with the melodic sense of the Beatles, seasoned with distorted fuzz guitars, toy pianos, and electronic static that would surely make Radiohead proud.
The record stumbles out of the gates with "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," a beautiful, confused hangover of a song. Tweedy fumbles around and gropes for something to say, but his ideas come out in the form of fractured, drunken ramblings: "I am an American aquarium drinker/ I assassin down the avenue." This isn't the loud, arrogant swagger we get from most rock stars; Tweedy sounds more like he's singing this song in a drunken stupor, head dangling over the toilet.
After Tweedy tries to convince us of how glad he is to have broken the heart of his lover, the album moves into "Kamera," a gorgeous slice of acoustic pop that recalls some of Sam Phillips' best, most melodic work. Here Tweedy is already being haunted by regret, but at least he's big enough to admit his responsibility. By the time "Radio Cure" rolls around, it's clear that this is a man who is aware of his shortcomings as a human being. By the sound of his voice, he sounds like he's a heavy smoker, and half of these songs are sung in drunken hysteria, but that's what makes Tweedy such a compelling, easy-to-relate-to frontman: he's wonderfully human. Boy, I'd love to hear this guy sing the blues. Or, better yet, the Psalms.
"War on War" is a shiny little jangle-pop gem that would make REM proud, and my Christian bias prevents me from being able to listen to the line "you gotta die if you wanna be alive" without thinking of the words of Christ. This infectious number is followed by the two strongest tracks on the album, "Jesus, Etc." and "Ashes of American Flags." The former is backed by strings that sound like they were sampled from a smoky jazz lounge, and the latter reveals that this story of a man's fall from innocence and need for grace is actually a metaphor for our nation. Simply put, it's the sound of desperation: "I would like to salute/ the ashes of American flags/ and all the falling leaves/ filling up shopping bags."
An irresistible dance track carries the next song, "Heavy Metal Drummer," a cheerful burst of nostalgia and longing for innocence. By this time it's clear that Wilco is in on some of Radiohead's most potent secret weapons: a keen ear for hooky melodies, a knack for penning poetically cryptic lyrics, and a Midas touch when it comes to instrumental experimentation. It cannot be stressed enough, though, that these guys are not Radiohead imposters; rather, if they continue to make albums of this caliber, they could be Radiohead's equals.
And, if I may make a final comparison to the legendary programmers of OK Computer, the first listen to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot will likely result in the average audiophile asking the same question he or she likely asked after first listening to Radiohead's Kid A: what the devil does it mean? Well, like the aforementioned Kid, this record is very deliberate and focused; either Wilco are masters of their craft or this is one heck of a fluke. Beneath the noisy hurricane of sounds, there seems to be a purpose to the studio tinkering; perhaps the chaotic sounds give us a glimpse into the confusion running amok in the head of Tweedy's lead character.
And what a fascinating, strangely likeable character it is. Jeff Tweedy doesn't spoon-feed us sugarcoated, easy-to-swallow morals or radio-friendly sentimentality. Instead, he makes us scratch our heads and put the pieces together on our own. From what I can gather, his fractured, purposely incomplete thoughts tell the tale of a man who breaks the heart of his lover, lives to regret it, and, if I may borrow a Bonoism, admits his need for love to lift him up out of his blues. Thankfully, Tweedy shares Bono's desire to show us hope in the midst of struggle, never giving us easy answers, but never giving in to despair.
"Call my family, tell them I'm lost, I'm lost," Tweedy cries in "Kamera," and, in fact, this very record almost got lost in a sea of contractual and financial trouble and record label red tape. Thankfully, like the character he created, Tweedy and his band eventually found their way out of the blues, and they brought with them the most daring and rewarding album of the year. 2002 was a rather ho-hum year for music, and it's been hard for me to be excited about any of the new music I've heard, but I eagerly encourage lovers of adventurous, intelligent pop music to make reservations for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Review Summary:
1. What does the album sound like?
It's a carefully-crafted blend of Americana, pop, and electronica influences with strong hooks and sour yet soulful vocals.
2. Is the album well made?
More so than any other album I've heard this year.
3. Will you enjoy the album?
Well, it'll take some time to grow on you, but audiophiles around the globe have been declaring it a masterpiece, and, if you tend to enjoy innovative bands like Radiohead, you'll probably agree.
4. Final score: 5 out of 5.
5/5
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis August 2002Reviewed by Matt Modrich"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," has received much attention from CMJ, Rolling Stone and many other media outlets, but Wilco almost didn't put it out because of their record label. However, Nonesuch Records picked up the album and Wilco has even made a movie about the making of the album that the fans almost never heard. In the past Wilco has been associated with the alternative country scene, which for…ReAL Magazine 2002Reviewed by Jeremy KeillorThis is my first encounter with Wilco, and on the merits of this album I have decided to award them a prominent place in my musical pantheon. Starting with the haunting "I am trying to break your heart" the band traces an eclectic path passing through dissonant intros and a few alt. country inspired tracks. Here and there you uncover hints of Radiohead and Ben Folds along with a whole host of…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Steve StockmanSimilar to Neil Young's Are You Passionate?, it was in fear and trepidation that I opened the CD drawer to insert Wilco's long awaited follow up to their pop splendid Summerteeth. Well it had been seemingly years since Reprise refused to release it; how bad could it have been? Friends had said it was so drugged up that it was spaced out. Then there were Radiohead references in reviews. Come on!…Similar sounding releases
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