With A GHOST IS BORN, Wilco continues in the melancholy and experimental direction of the preceding YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT. Those intrigued, if not downright fascinated, by Wilco's transformation from a no-frills alt-country group to an unpredictably inventive avant pop ensemble will find plenty to marvel at on this fifth outing. "At Least That's What You Said" begins the album quietly with Jeff Tweedy's ragged voice singing softly over a gentle piano line, but the song soon gives way to gloriously tattered guitar soloing and full-band backing. "Hell Is Chrome" follows with Tweedy taking on a surprisingly plaintive vocal tone that hearkens back to 1970s soul ballads, while the nearly 11-minute "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" glides along on Krautrock-like keyboards and features more fierce guitar work. This isn't to say that Wilco has abandoned its sense of melody and pop songcraft, it's just that the group has found new ways to express these aspects of its sound. A GHOST IS BORN continues Wilco's remarkable streak of innovative albums and upholds their reputation as one of America's most adventurous rock bands.
Track Listing:
At Least That's What You Said
Hell Is Chrome
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Muzzle Of Bees
Hummingbird
Handshake Drugs
Wishful Thinking
Company In My Back
I'm A Wheel
Theologians
Less Than You Think
Late Greats