Wilco, Summer Teeth (WB) 9+
It's ironic that, during his tenure with Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy's songs were the weakest. Because he has developed into a much stronger songwriter, eclipsing his former partner Jay Farrar's band Son Volt. Any dangling connections with the "No Depression" alternative country scene Uncle Tupelo is credited (or blamed) for sparking are left twisting in the wind by this shiny, upbeat, nearly psychedelic pop album. Unfortunately, part of what makes this album different is what holds it down. I'm all for the use of creative, trippy recording techniques, but with some artists it just doesn't fit. There are some great songs here, but too many are cluttered by the multilayered production tricks. While a band like Olivia Tremor Control integrates them seamlessly with their music, this sounds like it was tossed and sprinkled on top. I heard many of these songs performed by Tweedy solo with just a guitar, and they held up much better without the distracting sound affects. Despite that, Summer Teeth at least equals the consistent high quality of their previous work. Look forward to hearing relatively stripped down, more rocking versions in their live show. And if you miss that, I'm sure someday they'll come out with that live double album.
