Wilco - Summerteeth

Can't Stand It - 3
She's A Jar - 4
A Shot In The Arm - 3
We're Just Friends - 3
I'm Always In Love - 3
Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again) - 3
Pieholden Suite - 4
How To Fight Loneliness - 3
Via Chicago - 4
ELT - 3
My Darling - 3
When You Wake Up Feeling Old - 3
Summer Teeth - 3
In A Future Age - 3
Blank - (literally 23 seconds of silence, exempt from rating)
Candy Floss - 3
A Shot In The Arm (Alternate Take) - 3
Total - 51 stars / 16 tracks = 3.19 stars, normalized to 3.1 stars

Wilco is one of those bands that you hear about because people who you assume know what they're talking about keep talking about it. Until listening to Summerteeth, I was aware of Wilco, and even more so, aware of the fact that I should already know them. So, after listening to this album, I can't help but wonder what all the fuss is about.

I am perfectly willing to grant that "She Is A Jar" is a fantastic song, but beyond that, what is it that makes this band deserving of so much below-the-surface adoration? Even with the other two songs I ended up 4-starring, it was after repeated listening, where I felt like I was pushing myself toward liking them.

In fact, I'm so confused by my (possibly self-induced) peer pressure to love this band that I ended up typing "what is the big deal about Wilco?" into Google. There, (Here) I found a message board of like-minded people. These are the kind of folk who I assume would have been telling me to love Wilco, but, as it turns out, these folks all seem to agree that previous iterations and version of the band's like up (like Uncle Tupelo or Son Volt) are the ones you should be listening to. According to them, Wilco is only big because of good PR. While I haven't heard these other acts (or anything beyond Summerteeth, it's good to know that, when I'm feeling down on my critical self, Google is always there to help me find someone who feels the same way.