Loose Fur Loose Fur

[Drag City; 2003]

Rating: 4/5

Styles: indie rock, experimental rock
Others: Wilco, Jim O’Rourke


Last year was a great year for several Chicago artists known to many as Jim O'Rourke, Jeff Tweedy, and Glenn Kotche. The latter two members are from the celebrated outfit called Wilco. O'Rourke, historically, has been on his own doing solo acoustic and electronic material, but over the last several years has found himself creeping into other band's studios to collaborate and provide some helpful insight. He's shown the music world that he definitely has what it takes, and that his precise and melodic sensibilities are completely valid in the music industry. While becoming a major contributor to Sonic Youth's Murray Street, it became quickly apparent that his style of melody was exactly what Sonic Youth had needed for quite some time. Simultaneously, Tweedy and Kotche were at work on the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It finally landed around April 2002, with much praise and accolades from the public. It had been a long ride for the band, but the time had finally come to get the long awaited material out. After comparing the YHF demo tapes to the final product, it's again obvious that O'Rourke had quite a bit of influence on what the public would call Wilco's best album yet.

If you've heard anything by any of these gentlemen, you know by now that Tweedy, O'Rourke, and Kotche are talented musicians in their own rights. However, there really isn't anything on Loose Fur that Wilco and O'Rourke fans haven't heard before. Except maybe for the fact that Tweedy is "back in the saddle again." In fact, Loose Fur sounds pretty much exactly like what you'd expect. The opening track, "Laminated Cats" leans toward the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions and begs comparison to Radiohead's "I Might Be Wrong," while "Elegant Transaction" is all O'Rourke in scope. It permeates the album with homage to anything on Insignificance or Eureka. For this reason alone, Loose Fur seems a little "insignificant" and somewhat forced. I'm not speaking of the music itself, because each song is respectively great. However, I find myself wondering why this collaboration was formed other than to make an album that would expand O'Rourke's already endless catalogue even further. Regardless of my assumption, the material that's been produced here is pleasantly received.

"So Long" is the stand-alone track due to the fact that on the surface it has the least aesthetic appeal. About half way through the song, the noisy guitar antics begin to fade, and we're left with what seems to be one of the only two true collaborative moments. "You Were Wrong" follows behind "So Long," and is signature Wilco from beginning to end. Why this song wasn't on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is beyond me. The true gem here, however, is the final track, "Chinese Apple." It's the only song that actually sounds exactly like O'Rourke and Wilco combined. It resonates with pure harmony, and proves that this is a collaboration that truly works for something better. I guess the best things are saved for last.

So, if reading this review still leaves you in question as to what Lucifer, I mean, Loose Fur sounds like as a band, simply refer to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Insignificance, and Eureka. It's really impossible to put it any other way. Going by what these guys have produced in the past, it's almost hard to say anything negative about the music itself. The only question that truly remains is, "Why collaborate on something you can do yourself?"

1. Laminated Cat
2. Elegant Transaction
3. So Long
4. You Were Wrong
5. Liquidation Totale
6. Chinese Apple

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