Wilco is one of those bands that I can't really enjoy on a regular basis. Sometimes I love the band and can't stop listening to them for weeks. A few days later I won't be able to get through a single song, I don't know why but I guess that's just how it works. Summerteeth was released in 1999, four years after their big album Being There. If you are getting into Wilco this is the best place to start.
Wilco's huge album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a very popular album and considered the best by Wilco from many critics. Trust me, there is more to this band than just one album so if you are a fan of YHF than keep reading because chances are you will enjoy this too. Although their arn't very many big singles from Summerteeth it is still an excellent album and it is often overlooked and underated.
This is possibly Wilco's most accessible and easy to listen to album. The band has moved far away from their alt-country roots from their first two albums. Wilco mix together influences of rock/soul/and R&B. While fusing these genres together they still make an extremely catchy and easy to listen to album. Summerteeth is probably Wilco's most poppy and accessible album, it has elements of good songwriting, catchy hooks, and good production. Every thing on here is rock influenced, there arn't a lot of slow, mellow tracks Summerteeth is flooding with energy. While this may not be the bands best album it sure is the bands most catchy, and fun album at that.
Summerteeth is an alt/pop/rock album. The thing about Summerteeth is that it is a fresh listen no matter how many times you listen to it and it remains its catchiness throughout many listens. The influences of soul and R&B are most evident. Mixing slight influences of jazz, and electro-pop Wilco creates a fun, and somewhat experimental album. Summerteeth sounds like something you would listen too in your car. The music is catchy, it's energetic and I must say that Summerteeth can even be a jazzy and funky expierience. Summerteeth is not a bore and their are enough warm and gentle tracks tucked in the mix too keep things from getting to wild. All in all Summerteeth is a fun, catchy rock/pop album for people who just want catchy music or for someone who wants a good album rock in general.
Wilco use more instruments than your typical rock band would. Powered by a guitar, drums, a bass, and keyboards Wilco make a truly unique rock album. The main thing that stands out is the guitar. The guitar does its job, playing simple guitar riffs, power chords, and some brief gentle strums. The gutiar doesn't really stand out but it does its job. The bass and the drums provide us with a nice smooth rhythm section. Although their is nothing amazing the bass keeps everything smooth and sweet. Now the keyboards do a very nice job when they come into the music. The keyboards are used here and there to make smooth bubbly effects. The keyboards don't dominate the sound and they are actually hard to hear in most cases but they do have an effect on the music. The instrumentation is excellent on Summerteeth and Wilco makes a nice upbeat pop album.
Jeff Tweedy has had the same vocal delivery as always, he has a laid-back yet emotional voice. It mixes quite well with the poppy, laid-back nature of Summerteeth. Tweedy avoids rocking out, he always stays cool and always sings in his soft, somewhat sleezy voice. I really enjoy the vocals just because they mix so good with the music. The vocals are a highlight of Summerteeth just because they keep everything laid back and somewhat jazzy.
Overall I think that this is an excellent and accessible pop/rock album. Summerteeth is the easiest Wilco album to listen too, and almost anyone can enjoy it. Summerteeth consists of catchy pop hooks, bubbly synth noises, and a lot of laid back tunes. Their are even some slight influences of jazz and R&B. Wilco does a great job at keeping things laid back, Tweedy avoids going out of control and although there are a lot of upbeat tracks things never get mindless and too poppy. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is Wilco's most popular and well known album, but give this a chance because you may be surprised by how good it is. Catchy hooks, poppy riffs, jazzy melodies, and some laid-back rock, Summerteeth isn't the highlight of Wilco's discography but it is certainly an excellent pop album.
