MY VIEW
Music: 'A Ghost Is Born'

By Joshua Huff
Special to The Advertiser

The Verdict: A near-flawless piece devoid of "filler" songs THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely listen to it. 3 — Good: Worth listening to despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the group or singer, don't bother. 1 — Poor: Save your money (and your ears).

Style: Alternative country/experimental rock

Rewind: Track No. 1, "At Least That's What You Said"; No. 3, "Spiders (Kidsmoke)"

Skip it: The last 11 minutes of drone on No. 11, "Less Than You Think"

My view: When I first heard about Wilco a few years ago, I wasn't overly impressed — mainly because you find the band's music listed as "alternative country." The "alternative" part is intriguing, but the "country" label nearly prevented me from giving their CDs a chance.

I'm glad I had a bit of courage, because their latest CD, "A Ghost is Born," is one of the best I've heard.

Two years removed from "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," Wilco has seen lead singer Jeff Tweedy complete rehab for an addiction to painkillers. Two other band members left after "Foxtrot," leaving the latest work to what seems to be a new cast.

Somehow, "Ghost" eclipses "Foxtrot." No small feat.

"Ghost" kicks off with "At Least That's What You Said," which matches a story of two quarreling lovers with a somber piano melody. At the 1:56 mark, the song seems to wrap up, but barn-stomping guitars quickly join the fray and solo over the piano and keyboard lines, which picks up the speed and intensity.

Most songs start with vocals over a lightly strummed acoustic guitar or softly played piano piece, and usually build to a massive climax typically consisting of increased song speeds and bursts of guitar-attacking experimentation (not unlike legendary Sonic Youth's softer moments, which isn't surprising, as Sonic Youth member Jim O'Rourke played on and produced "A Ghost is Born"). The songs never come across as formulaic. Every song sounds fresh.

The album's dividing point is the nearly 11-minute track of "Spiders (Kidsmoke)," a song about people hiding the way they truly feel and not acting the way they really want to.

The album is not without its flaws, though they are few.

"I'm A Wheel" is a great song until Tweedy sings the lines "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine/Once in Germany someone said nein," a rare songwriting lapse by Tweedy that threatens to ruin the track.

"Less Than You Think" is a great song for the first three minutes (and the duration of the true song itself), but for the next 11 minutes it evolves into extremely dissonant guitar feedback and keyboard loops. It's been said this is the constant "buzzing noise" Tweedy was hearing that led him to abuse painkillers and forced him into rehab, but it really is just too much.

This is the "folky" country album for people too afraid to listen to Neil Young — and it is the "noise rock" album for those who are curious but just a bit too scared to listen to a proper Sonic Youth album.

Joshua Huff is a senior at Moanalua High School.

Have a game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.