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Wilco’s most recent output hasn’t been lacking in too many departments. If anything, the heady material they’ve been churning out in recent years, while light years ahead of fare like A.M. and Being There, simply sounds a little less fun, as if the carefree bar band days had passed them by. Fortunately, on Loose Fur’s latest outing we see frontman Jeff Tweedy and percussion scientist Glen Kotche, along with sound spelunker Jim O’Rourke, with their creative juices flowing a little more freely, and we are reminded that the boys are still enjoying their craft. From the slow mosey whistling groove of ‘The Ruling Class’ to the Sunday-schoolhouse rock of ‘Thou Shalt Wilt’, Loose Fur rocks out simple but memorable grooves and inventive vocal melodies. O’Rourke, now formerly of Sonic Youth, takes the lead on a few tunes, and his unique style is cause enough to go dig out the wonderfully forgotten records he put out at the start of the decade.
