Originally released in 1999, Wilco's Summerteeth was recently re-released as a beautifully packaged Double LP. Summerteeth was underappreciated at the time of its release, and in a way, is still underappreciated. Never given the same deification as their next record, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and labeled as a commercial disappointment by the record label, Summerteeth has aged beautifully and many now consider it their best record.
After their breakthrough Being There, Wilco set out to record the follow up with newfound confidence that would find Jeff Tweedy and bandmate Jay Bennett reaching a combined creative peak they would never be able to recapture. Bennett brought his love for baroque pop arrangements and combined it with Tweedy's experimental and bare bones songwriting.
Tweedy also began to work with abstract lyrics and took a lot of chances with words that may have made others uncomfortable: "She begs me not to hit her", "I dreamed of killing you again last night and it felt alright to me", etc. Summerteeth can be dark and personal, but it's also the most tuneful record they've ever recorded. "She's A Jar" , "A Shot in the Arm", "I'm Always in Love" and "Pieholden Suite" would all be hits in a parallel universe where the masses appreciated good music.
In short, Summerteeth is a true American Classic.
Recommended If You Like:
Beach Boys, Califone, The Band, oh and um... Wilco
Looks Like:
a holiday barbeque.
Feels Like:
that first sip of beer after a long work week.
Smells Like:
sunshine.
Listen to When:
you want something that makes you feel good, but not in a contrived way.
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