Wilco gets 'Ghost'-ly with latest

When last we heard from Wilco, Reprise Records unceremoniously threw frontman Jeff Tweedy and his revolving door of bandmates out on their ears. Subsequent online leakage of the record that caused the rift piqued the interest of Nonesuch Records. It in turn released the album, which debuted at Number 13 on the Billboard Charts to unanimous acclaim. That record is the now-beloved Yankee Hotel Foxtrot -- one of the best LPs of this century's infancy. Funnily enough, both Reprise (who paid for Foxtrot, and then ostensibly gave it back to Wilco) and Nonesuch are owned by Warner Bros. -- how's that for an "f-you" to record industry fat cats?\nTwo years have passed since this modern day David and Goliath story transpired, and a lot's happened in that time. Wilco toured extensively, saw its story play out in the rock doc "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," returned to its native Chicago, recorded a record, Tweedy checked himself into rehab for an addiction to pain killers and the album was delayed as a result of his stay. Unsurprisingly, the listener-friendly group made A Ghost Is Born, its fifth record, available online months in advance of release. It too was heralded, and rightfully so -- Born is a revelation.\nPerhaps not its predecessor's equal, the album is still vital listening. Pitch perfect from beginning to end with the exception of the 12 minutes of feedback and distortion that accompany "Less Than You Think" (A friend of mine asserts that this aside is essential, "You just have to smoke and zone out to it." Perhaps I don't toke enough? Either way, the waning moments of the tune give me a migraine on par with Tweedy's.) -- Born is a near-masterpiece.\nSmartly re-teaming with Sonic Youth vet Jim O'Rourke, who mixed and played on Foxtrot, Wilco has made the perfect companion piece to its masterwork. It was Tweedy and O'Rourke who infused the last record with its sense of innovation. Their tinkering with the buzzes, bleeps and bloops elevated the material beyond mere rock and inevitably got the band shit-canned off Reprise. That same experimentation is here, albeit to a lesser degree. The album has a more natural feel to it, as if the band were playing in your living room. This is appropriate, as Foxtrot assessed America as a whole and Born turns things individually inward -- it's more personal.