Search - Loose Fur :: Born Again in the U.S.a.

The Packaging is Worth the Price of the Album Alone

Zachary A. Hanson | Tallahassee, FL United States | 04/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oh yeah and pretty much every song is a gem. I don't know why I like the vaguely racy cartoons in the foldout as much as I do, maybe because they're all done in pencil and some are reminiscent of old Playboys. Just unique. Then the band photos. Tweedy, Kotche, and O'Rourke all play "mental" ten times over, each song showing the same goofball photo and the instruments they play on it.



But lest you think it isn't about the music. Call it Wilco math rock in some spots. "Apostolic" goes through some winding shifts and ends up making some nice comments on religion (there are a few more religious commentaries on this CD--so interesting to find out what goes on beneath the Wilco zeitgeist). It's not all about the religion and time shifts here. The instrumental harmonies are stunning on "Apostolic"; it switches back and forth from lushness to jaggedness. Absoute ear candy.



"Stupid As the Sun" has a weird math rock march feel that lurches through Jim O'Rourke's smart screed. It's really sweet. Jim Kotche has some stunning drumming on this. Again, varied and intricate. Why doesn't it ever get this complicated on Wilco albums? I'm waiting. That's right, you read me Wilco.



"Pretty Sparks" is fun, but no spark ever exactly materializes. Part of why I can't give this album a five, as much as I want to (your career hangs on my five, Loose Fur, whether or not you actually know it--that's right, there's a contingent of delusional Wilco fans out there, as if you didn't know).



"Thou Shalt Wilt" is another brainteaser from Jim. The music sounds like Sesame Street. It's a song about the virtues of the numbers between and 1 and 10. The music is sweet. "Still, look at number eight,/ what a better way to procreate." Such silly and flip lyrics don't usually give chills up and down my spine (tho' the chills are not exactly on the order of "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," say--just chills at the success of their audacity, wittiness, and instrumental bravado; still quite the accomplishment).



Right now, my favorite is "Wreckroom." Again it is all over the place. It sorts of begins where "Reservations" ends at the end of YHF. This is one that takes several minutes to fade in; it has several minutes of cascading torrents of guitar coming from Jeff & Jim that intersperse with Jeffs plaintive observations; then it fades out with some great analog sounds courtesy of Jim. Absolutely blissful.



If you both like Wilco and like to hear what an even more experimental artist like O'Rourke sounds like with Wilco's drummer and leader (and he mixes and engineers this one, too, like he does Wilco's last few), then you should absolutely buy this one. Even if this isn't the case, you'd be awfully unadventurous to not go out on a limb and get something as absolutely expansive and provocative as this."

A Tasty Little Treat

A. Dennis | Portland, Maine | 03/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've just listened to this record twice and it really surprised me. The last Loose Fur record played liked Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's laid back cousin -- great songs done in extended acoustic jamming style with all the electronic flourishes but a sunny, stoned disposition. It was a revelation of relaxation. This record leans more toward songcraft, but there are a few excellent moments of pure chillin'. What is here that was missing last time around are tightly arranged tunes: what was a shambling, shiny, beautiful mess on the last record is more focused and succint. This makes sense when you think about it: the first Loose Fur record was recorded during the YHF sessions -- that record is focused and precise......this new Loose Fur record follows A Ghost is Born which is itself a shambling, shiny beautiful mess...anyway, my point is that Tweedy is using the Loose Fur project as a way to express himself in ways that don't fall into the parameter of Wilco (if Wilco indeed has paramenters). And anyway that Jeff Tweedy decides to express himself is gonna be good. As a side note, Tweedy plays a lot of bass on this record and he smokes....remember when he was the bass player for Uncle Tupelo? No? This will remind you!"

Get your Tweedy fix

T. Janci | San Francisco, CA USA | 10/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Wilco fan for years, and love everything Wilco related. But no side projection/incarnation has captivated me the way the Loose Fur project has. The Tweedy/O'Rourke combination is unmatched in indy rock today, in my opinion. In a time when any yahoo can make a record in their bedroom with plug-ins and the like, the Loose Fur records are minimal-production marvels that allow the songs to speak for themselves. And they are amazing songs. In many ways (and I expect a ton of flack for this), better than some of the recent Wilco stuff."