Archer Prewitt - Southern Wall 7'' (Motorcoat, 1998)

Archer Prewitt
Southern Wall 7''
Motorcoat
1998


Rating: 6.5 dairy deer out of 10


A perfectly cromulent (though probably unessential) release from Archer Prewitt, best known for his excellent guitar work with the Sea & Cake and the Coctails.  Both tracks are in the jazz / lounge rock family as you expect from Archer, but the title track has a bit of a psychedelic twist to the production.  Oh, and there's a flute on it!  The song has vocals but they're rather minimal...but there really is a shitload of flute though.  The other side, "Coleman," is an instrumental offering that is fine.  Just fine, nothing special.  Probably should have put some flute on it. 

Mac McCaughan - Box Batteries 7'' (Merge, 2015)

Mac McCaughan
Box Batteries 7''
Merge
2015

Rating: 7 dead roots out of 10

I was certain I both owned and had reviewed this Mac McCaughan seven inch when it first came out on 2015, but here we are now. 

This version of "Box Batteries" is different than the version found on his full-length from the same year "Non-Believers."  Not drastically different mind you - really, this one just feels like the production is a little more lo-fi, lending it almost an old school Guided By Voices vibe. 

The b-side "Whatever Light" is fine - your typical straight forward, mid-tempo Mac / Portastatic / Superchunk song.  It would have fit in fine on one of the late nineties or early oughts Superchunk albums (aka "Indoor Living," "Come Pick Me Up," or "Here's To Shutting Up.")

Ex-Vöid - Only One 7'' (Prefect, 2019)

Ex-Vöid
Only One 7''
Prefect
2019

Rating: 8 sitcom lesbians out of 10

This band being named Ex-Vöid, complete with an extraneous umlaut, plus the cover art on this seven inch…there’s no way this isn’t a punk or hardcore band, right?  Or… maybe not, as the title track is about as twee a you can get.  It gives off a great Camera Obscura-meets-Best Coast vibe, with harmonized male and female vocals throughout, all backed by some very Teenage Fanclub-esque guitar work.  The song is an instant ear worm you’re likely play over and over and over if you love this style of music like I do.  If I get around to making a list of my favorite songs of 2019, which to be honest I rarely remember to do, this would definitely be on it, and very high in the countdown.  But then!  The b side, one of those rare, delightful occurrences where a band names a song after themselves, is a distorted punk scorcher less than a minute long.  A fine track, though nothing to get worked up for, and not even in the same universe as “Only One” in style or quality.

So now I’m confused.  And curious, very very curious at where Ex-Vöid goes next.  I’m damn near tempted to give this a perfect score for the title track alone, I can’t recommend it any more highly.   

Wilco - Ode To Joy (dBpm, 2019)

Wilco
Ode To Joy
dBpm
2019

Rating: 7.5 sparkly sandwiches out of 10

I was going to be a snarky dickhead and make the entire review of “Ode To Joy” something like “Wilco releases new record: sounds exactly like a Wilco record.”  Then I got super lazy about actually writing the review, which led me to listening to the album more and more over the last couple of months, and now I’m hearing a lot more nuance than had occurred to me on my earlier impressions.  It’s almost like you can have a much more thorough take on a piece of art the more you spend time with it.  Obviously, that’s not going to actually stop me from making snap judgements in the future, because life is short, there is way too much music to keep up with, and as a well-documented shitty writer, a crap take on things is my raison d'être.  Sometimes though, patience is rewarded, assuming you have some to spare.

My overall impression is that “Ode To Joy” is a much mellower album than their more recent releases…it actually sounds much more akin to Jeff Tweedy’s recent solo record “Warmer” than a typical post-Jay Bennett Wilco release – lots of acoustic guitar, most songs are slow-to-mid tempo, and (thank god) way less Nels Cline guitar wankery.  Cline is incredibly gifted, sure, but it almost never does anything for me and often feels tacked onto the music as an afterthought.  “Everyone Hides” is the obvious stand-out track, and the closest you’re going to get to a straight-forward Wilco-esque jangly pop song on this release.  Given that, it’s not that surprising it’s also the lead single with a fancy video.  “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” is also a strong offering, with a nice cinematic quality – and the rare instance where Cline’s noodling actually accentuates the track. 

“Ode To Joy” is a good record, and one worth exploring even for jaded old fans pining for the “Summerteeth” days.    It’s probably my favorite since 2009’s ridiculously titled “Wilco (The Album),” for those keeping score at home.