Don't Buy Two CDs at Once

You cannot love two new cds equally. This week, having a glorious Target gift card in hand (Father's Day was good to me... I also have new shirts from Polo and a Johnston & Murphy gift card), I came home with Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse and A Ghost is Born by Wilco. Two very different cds, both good, but if this were Celebrity Deathmatch, Wilco would come out victorious.

The latest cd from indie favorites Modest Mouse, Good News For People Who Love Bad News is unlike pretty much anything in my collection. The band really has a quirky approach, especially in how the songs are arranged and in the lead vocals. This cd hasn't gotten as much playing time as Ghost, but I do enjoy it and there are several very good tracks. The best is, of course, the irresistable single "Float On," which is flat out amazing. It was blogged about by Josiah last month and that probably influenced my decision to buy the cd over the latest offerings from Death Cab and the debut disc by The Postal Service. I know this cd is one that will continue to grow on me if I can just pry something else out of the stereo in my car...

That being, of course, Wilco's new cd A Ghost is Born. I kind of surprised myself with this one. I hadn't heard even a single song on the cd before buying it, but the gamble has paid off -- it's a very good album, if a bit inconsistent. My favorite tracks are probably "Muzzle of Bees," "Company in My Back," and "Theologians." In fact, tracks 4 - 10 are all very good and make for a great listening experience.

The low points? The quiet-LOUD thing is played up a couple times too many on the album, one of my few qualms. "Spiders" has an amazing transition and manages to hold your attention throughout its entire 10 minutes, but I have to admit that the first time I heard it, I was waiting for Gwen Stefani's voice to come in over that beat. Finally, I could really do without the 11 minutes of low-budget sci-fi flick sound effects tacked on to the otherwise enjoyable "Less Than You Think."

The lyric that stands out most at this point is that of "Theologians." With opening lines like these -- "Theologians / They don't know nothin' / About my soul" -- the song could have gone down the road of the religious rant. A later verse, however, paraphrases some words of Jesus before His crucifixion:

I'm going away
Where you will look for me
Where I'm going you cannot come

No one's ever gonna take my life from me
I lay it down

Following these lines, Tweedy sings what became the title of the album, "A Ghost is Born." I'm really intrigued by the song, as well as the album art, which features an egg (which culturally is often used to represent new life and is associated with Easter) in various stages of "opening," I guess you'd call it, in different places. Anyone with a more put together interpretation, feel free to comment.

Overall, it's a really enjoyable album and I'm glad I finally jumped on the Wilco bandwagon. I'll be checking McKay's for available copies of YHF and Summerteeth...

Posted by JohnH at June 26, 2004 05:05 AM | TrackBack