Ode To Joy - Wilco: Review
is a legendary Chicago based indie rock band that has been releasing critically acclaimed indie and folk records for over two decades now. Their most critically acclaimed period came in the early 2000's with records like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born and Sky Blue Sky. The 201o's haven't been a the best for the band but they haven;t fallen nearly as far as some of their contemporaries. They had the tolerable but bland The Whole Love in 2011, the surprise dropped and surprisingly good Star Wars in 2015 and finally the short and forgettable Shmilco the next year. After taking two years off they are back once again and dropped two relatively well received singles leading up to the album but expectations are still measured.
Review By Lavender:
I love Wilco's legendary run of records just as much as anyone. Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born features some of the more compelling indie music of their eras and a few all time amazing songs like Jesus Etc,. Despite the fact that I haven't been in love with most of their records since this run there have been some bright spots like Sky Blue Sky and Star Wars, and as long as Jeff Tweedy continues to be the main-brain of the band there is no reason to even give up on them potentially dropping another masterpiece, Ode To Joy is not that album but it does seem to have higher ambitions than at least the groups previous release.
The singles for this record got it off to a pretty hot start that a few of the album tracks managed to keep up. Love Is Everywhere (Beware) has a catchy refrain and sweet production that helps the instrumental pop off the mix in a satisfying way and was a nice lead single. Everyone Hides may be an even better track with great lead vocals and the classic Wilco slide guitar taking me back to the bands heyday. While a lot of the record is pretty average a number of tracks do reach into the solid territory the singles set up for. One And A Half Stars has a really catchy refrain and much more present singing than the first few tracks on the record, but just presents a more driving tune overall. Quiet Amplifier throws it back to the classic emo days with raw guitar riffing and some intimate boyish singing that is both touching and emotionally compelling.
We Were Lucky is one of the better tracks here with some wandering fuzzy guitar that breaks up the verses and gives the song momentum and variety like some of the bands more recent material has lacked. Hold Me Anyway is another highlight with some light rumbling percussion flanked by a sharp guitar riff and paired with a jangly lead vocal performance for one of the best overall tunes on the record.
Unfortunately there are a number of tracks here that just feel so watered down and are aligned more with the indie rock bands that have made a career ripping off Wilco, than the band itself. Bright Leaves is kind of a groggy opening track with a really slow pace and some distant whisper singing that never really grabs me and slows the album down from the very start. This is followed by Before Us a slight improvement but another loose and wandering composition connected by a few halfway catchy refrains here and there.
White Wooden Cross is a sweet track that I didn't love at first. Some of the soft plucking and boyish singing have grown on me a little bit but all they do is bring the track into a barely tolerable enough to be interesting position. Citizens is a song that always sounds like it is building towards something big, but absolutely nothing becomes of it even after extra instrumentation pops up in the middle of the track it is gone before it even had a chance to make an impact. Finally An Empty Corner is a bearable song and at points a sweet ballad but a super tame way to close out the album and kind of a fitting summation of my experience with this record.
Wilco is a veteran indie band that knows how to write songs, there is nothing on Ode To Joy that will actively make you hiss at it or turn you away but there isn't really any single moment on here that is all that satisfying or rewarding either. While there are a few tracks that would make it onto their greatest hits of this decade list, nothing here compares to the bands best work but even 2015's Star Wars tends to outclass it in almost every way. There is certainly a little bit here for Wilco and indie music fans but don't expect the band to pull off anything you haven't heard before and don't expect to be blown away by anything unexpected here. 5.5/10
For more veteran indie music check out my review of Pixies Beneath The Eyrie here
