Friday, January 3, 2014

"At Least That's What You Said" (Wilco)

I never cease to be impressed with Jeff Tweedy and his ability to craft tunes that feel as familiar as an old pair of shoes yet completely unexpected and new.
"At Least That's What You Said" from A Ghost is Born (2004) is one of those songs.
Tweedy's lyrics are as poetic and impressionistic as ever.  It appears to be "part II" of "She's A Jar" from Summerteeth (1999)--an honest revelation of a husband-wife relationship marred by struggle, occasional physical violence, and skepticism that survives against all odds because of undying affection and dedication.
It's great lyric writing.  But, for me, it's the music that makes me love this song so much.  It's the brilliant shift from delicate piano ballad to Crazy Horse-esque rocker.  It's that descending riff and the crunchy tone of Tweedy's guitar before he launches into that relentless, roaring, claustrophobic guitar solo, which he himself described as a sonic transcription of a panic attack.  It's that feeling of exhilaration and exhaustion as the song fades to its last droplets of piano and smoldering feedback.
It's just a song with everything in its right place, even if the world is out of place.


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