Impressions: Nice. Well, I’ll admit I’m a huge fan of this era of Wilco and I’m glad to see this album make the cut.
The oft-told back story of this record is enough to fill up this whole blog alone: longtime members fired, label initially rejected the album, Wilco bought the album back and, later, resold it back to the record company for more than initially offered. After which, the album went on to become a surprising hit. (Watch this great documentary for more.) Especially if you live here in Chicago you’ve heard the album and story plenty.
That aside, I think it’s a gorgeous, unsettling, record that aims for greatness and actually gets there. YHF is the summary of the contentious yet productive Jeff Tweedy/Jay Bennett partnership, with great expansive songwriting, detailed production and  a complete emergence from the narrow alt-country box. Okay, great…let’s listen.
Love how the drunken unease of the opener “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” sets the tone for the whole album. “Kamera” and “Pot Kettle Black” are great shimmering tracks that almost seems like neo-Velvet Underground spiked with early Cure or something. I enjoy how the reflective, almost new-wavish”Heavy Metal Drummer” has very little trace of actual metal in the arrangement. Tweedy’s cracked and broken voice, while not everyone’s cup of tea, puts across the uncertain mood surrounding the band, and, oddly, when the album was released, the mood of the country. People considered it an effective meditation on a post-9/11 world, even though it was produced before the attacks. Somehow this album backed into being very timely with songs like “Ashes of American Flags” and “War on War.”
The secret weapons of this album is the sneaky funky and versatile drumming of Glenn Kotche (who, unbeliveably, recently starred in a commercial for Delta faucets) and the late Bennett, who would be fired after the album was finished. Something about the unsustainable chemistry between Bennett and Tweedy really pushed this album over the top for me.  It’s a fragmented puzzle to be sure, but it all falls together so nicely. An outstanding mix of tunes, expermentation, genre hopping. Holds up after repeated listens, maybe not for everyone, but it hits me just right.

Should this album be on the list? Yes.
Starred Songs: I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Kamera, Heavy Metal Drummer
Sneaky Track: Jesus Etc, Pot Kettle Black
Will you listen to this again? Yes
Rating: ★★★★★