"Summerteeth," by Wilco. (Courtesy of Reprise Records)
One of the best things about Wilco is they always catch a listener by surprise.
The band’s third studio album, “Summerteeth,” is the poppiest of their albums then and since, but they manage to shadow these upbeat tempos with their darkest lyrics to date.
The album’s title track, “Summer Teeth,” is able to create an alarming contrast between a lighthearted tempo and lyrics about death: “It’s just a dream he keeps having, and it doesn’t seem to mean anything/One summer a suicide, another autumn a traveler’s guide/He hits snooze twice before he dies.”
Students say they love it.
“My favorite song on the album is ‘Summer Teeth’ because it has a catchy beat, yet it’s simple,” said freshman open-option major Kristie Dunnigan.
“Summerteeth” is characterized by Wilco’s standard alternative country but this time the band experiments with some mellow jazz and a synthesizer.
The album opens with “Can’t Stand It.” A melody that seeps of alternative country and much more, vocalist Jeff Tweedy sings, “The way things go, you get so low/Struggle to find your skin,” and the listener is hooked by the catchy beat.
Wilco’s poetic talent is evident in all of their songs.
From songs like the lighthearted “I’m Always in Love,” to “Via Chicago,” written from the perspective of a man who kills his lover, the lyrics grope at life’s daily conflicts and more complicated situations, and the stanzas are put together with admirable fluidity.
“Wilco writes amazing lyrics because each song has a message you can interpret differently,” said Charlotte Dworshak, a freshman English major.
Lining each song with such desperate and lost lyrics goes hand in hand with Tweedy’s references to drugs in “A Shot in the Arm.” He sings about a broken love and trying to numb the pain.
The album continues to follow suit, and with Tweedy singing about his mishaps with love and Jay Bennett’s performance on the keyboard, the songs don’t miss a beat.
Wilco makes sure that no one gets too comfortable when the pace quickens with the song
“Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway (again).” Tweedy expresses his feelings of loneliness as he lives his life on the road and sings, “A kiss is all we need.”
The next three songs, “Pieholden Suite”, “How to Fight Loneliness” (featured on the soundtrack for the film “Girl, Interrupted”) and “Via Chicago” are all slower tunes with an alternative pop sound.
Wilco traded the band’s standard organic texture for heavy production after some experimentation with Pro Tools on this album. Wilco uses a synthesizer in these songs, which can often come off as an irritating addition to their songs.
The album is often criticized as being “over-dubbed,” but it makes for a different sound than their previous music, and the impressive lyricism helps counteract the busy pop sound.
“I think the synthesizer sometimes makes it seem like there is too much going on in the songs,” said Tyler Campos, a sophomore political science major.
“Summerteeth” is able to evoke alarming and intricate levels of emotion despite the band’s criticized experimentation with heavy production. Nonetheless, trying something new is rarely negative. This album will remain a highlight of Wilco’s career.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Elana Staroselstky at Elana.staroselstky@colorado.edu.
2 comments
Great article!
Your name sounds familiar, I think I may know you from somewhere… Perhaps AP English? ;)
GREAT ARTICLE ELANA!