I genuinely think Alligator through SWB are all 10/10 albums, so this is just a matter of degrees, but I’d group them as follows: Tier 1: Alligator, Boxer, TWFM Tier 2: High Violet, SWB Tier 3: SS Tier 4: s/t
wait did @zmtr just rank Sad Songs above Alligator That is...one of the wilder things I've seen on this website and I been here a minute
I think my current favorite has to be TWFM, but it really changes so much. I slept on that album for a long time but when I finally did connect with it I fell in love with it hard. Boxer was my favorite for a long time, as well as High Violet. SWB hasn't been out long enough but it has only gotten better and better for me over time. I don't know exactly how to describe the sound, but the electronic flourishes on SWB were a little bit of a turn-off for me at first, only because I tend to love the sound of all of them just playing their instruments, and I think lesser bands sometimes use that kind of thing to mask sub-par songwriting. But I quickly realized neither of these situations applied to SWB.
Haven’t heard the new one yet but aside from that, this is also my ranking High Violet means a lot to me
Fashion Coat, Available, Slipping Husband, Lucky You, Cardinal Song, It Never Happened, Murder Me Rachael all excellent songs
One day I’d like to see a deep dive about the way Matt used to write about women, though. I feel like there’s a lot of toxic shit in the first half of their career, even in songs i enjoy (like the ones listed above from Sad Songs). Wilco is the same way. I’m glad they’ve evolved, and I’m sure there’s some “warts and all” approach they thought they were taking with those lyrics, but i think sexism in indie rock emboldened a lot of indie dudes (myself included, I’m sure) to have a shitty attitude towards women in ways that took time to un-learn.
I love Fashion Coat so much, one of their best choruses tbh but yeah there's some pretty not-great lines on, say, All Dolled-Up in Straps and the like
This changes constantly Alligator SWB HV Boxer TWFM Sad Songs S/T Top 5 songs Lit Up Conversation 16 City Middle Slow Show Graceless