Review Summary: Wilco crafts a dreamlike, intoxicating album experience
I walked into a record store in Pittsburgh Monday. The vinyl was sitting out in New Arrivals. I brought it up to the front counter and let them know that the record isn't out yet. They internally exploded for about 20 minutes before allowing me to buy it. Anyway, I've been listening to this all week.
As a long-term Wilco fan, I feel it's important to note that I have been critical of a lot of their work. Especially everything after A Ghost is Born and Sky Blue Sky. I haven't been completely blown away by a Wilco record since A Ghost is Born. I did really enjoy Sky Blue Sky and The Whole Love, but I didn't feel the same consistency, cohesiveness and excellence that previous records had.
I am blown away by Ode to Joy. It sounds incredible. It may be the prettiest Wilco record. The production and mixing is very clean, naturalistic, loose, and melodic. More attention is given to bass melodies (more McCartney and Pet Sounds than previous records). The pianos and guitars are blended subtly and rhythmically with the drums. Tweedy is raw, strained, emotional, and optimistic. His voice is rougher with the years, but it adds to the rawness of the overall sound. The guitars aren't necessarily perfectly in tune, why should his voice be? The pianos and guitars are largely acoustic, which allows a greater space to build between the notes. Some of the background guitar melodies are absolutely gorgeous.
I was excited, but I did not expect to be absolutely blown away. My favorite Wilco records pay insane detail to every sonic touch, whether in the forefront or background, without getting lost in the mix. Every melody, countermelody, subtle rhythm, bass run, drum kick seems to add up to one beautiful whole. The record is occasionally catchy, but the pop and rock sensibilities take a back seat to experimental folk sounds. Although this album is among the most optimistic of Wilco's career, sonically, it probably most closely resemble Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, transitions are seamless, flawless, and demonstrate Tweedy & co.'s focus on making a stellar album, as opposed to just a collection of songs.
Ode to Joy will not immediately smack fans in the face with awesomeness. The album is a slow burn. Songs take their time to build, find grooves, and tend to float there for a long time without crescendos or distinct changes. These types of albums aren't made or promoted often these days. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was not immediate in any sense: it's greatness built over many listens. Hopefully, in the streaming era, an album like Ode to Joy can be properly digested and appreciated. As the album draws to an end, it is clear that it at once feels too short while feeling totally complete. The only appropriate response to the conclusion is to flip it back over to Side A and put the needle back at the start.
