Jeff Tweedy – Together At Last – Album Review by Killian Laher

Jeff Tweedy has recorded a solo acoustic collection of Wilco songs, mostly drawn from Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot & A Ghost Is Born, with the odd excursion into side projects such as Loose Fur.  The effect is like a huskier version of Neil Young unplugged.  The results are generally really impressive.  Via Chicago sounds more delicate and sadcore than the original, full of longing and regret, and the harmonica that crops up throughout just adds to the Neil Young effect.  Laminated Cat, Muzzle of Bees and Ashes of American Flags are shorn of their avant-garde touches to become pieces of acoustic whimsy, and their intricate, deliberate guitar picking shows what a fine guitar player Tweedy is.  Elsewhere, Lost Love comes off sounding not unlike Young’s own Pocahontas, I’m Always In Love betrays the influence of Elliott Smith, while Dawned on Me and Hummingbird feature dippy but charming whistling.

Tweedy shows fine guitar skills across the album, especially on In A Future Age and I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.  If there is a criticism, it’s maybe that Tweedy sticks to singing on a husky whisper rather than breaking into a higher register for each song, which for the uninitiated could make this collection feel a bit repetitive.

Although the fans will lap this up, I would urge those unfamiliar but curious to check this out.

Track List:

1. Via Chicago
2. Laminated Cat
3. Lost Love
4. Muzzle of Bees
5. Ashes of American Flags
6. Dawned On Me
7. In A Future Age
8. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
9. Hummingbird
10. I’m Always In Love
11. Sky Blue Sky

Laminated Cat