Part of Who Are Wilco? (Disc. #2)

Wilco

A.M. (1995)

(2 out of 4)

 

Review By Chris Nowling: From the ashes of famed country-folk band Uncle Tupelo, both Son Volt and Wilco emerged; the former led by the initial band’s front man, Jay Farrar, the latter by Jeff Tweedy. While the details behind Uncle Tupelo’s breakup aren’t entirely clear, the drama between the two artists resulted in a split that was anything but amicable. Bitterly going their separate ways, both of the singers formed new groups and released albums quickly – Wilco with A.M. and Son Volt with Trace. Though Uncle Tupelo fans were undoubtedly interested to see which record would be the stronger of the two, the band members themselves looked at the releases as a sort of rivalry as well. It quickly became evident by both popular and critical reception that A.M. wasn’t the quality of record Tweedy and company would need to get out from under their previous bandmate’s shadow.

Even taken out of its competitive context, A.M. doesn’t sound like the album that launched what we would be such a brilliant career for Wilco. Granted, the band is mostly successful in channeling the spirit of classic folk-rock greats from Gram Parsons to The Eagles as they tentatively branch out in search of a sound that suits them, and Tweedy’s modest yet endearing voice definitely adds to the charm. But the record also feels like the work of a band playing it far too safe. Perhaps that’s too easy to say having first heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born before diving into their back catalog, but even for its time, A.M. was a record of modest aspirations that couldn’t help but underwhelm as Tweedy’s material too often falls into less than inspired territory, causing the record to feel light on genuine substance and unfortunately heavy on middling, mid-tempo folk rock.

A.M. isn’t without appeal, as the brief flashes of lyrical and musical inspiration, found especially in the earlier tunes, bode well for the band’s future endeavors and make the record at least an interesting listen as a piece of Wilco’s discography. “Casino Queen” has a rough, rock ‘n’ roll edge; “Box Full of Letters” is a great pop-rock tune; and “That’s Not the Issue” is an irresistible bluegrass number. It’s fun to hear the band as they occasionally hit their mark and even some of the tunes with more obvious flaws are still winning in their earnest simplicity, but among the 13 tracks are plenty of fairly lifeless duds including the whiney, lonesome “It’s Just that Simple” and the surprisingly dull closer “Too Far Apart.” Ultimately, A.M. just lacks a definitive purpose, giving it the feel of a band spinning their wheels off the starting line. In time, Tweedy and those that stuck with him would more than prove themselves a creative force to be reckoned with, but that future was difficult to see here.

Last Word:

Wilco’s debut album is decidedly the weakest material the band has ever released as well as the least adventurous, an anything but auspicious start from a band that would become indie icons.

Review By:
Chris Nowling, Staff Writer

IN REVIEW ONLINE