CD Review

Side projects have become a hit or miss avenue. For every novel Postal Service, there is an over-hyped Velvet Revolver with the whole “featuring members of…” title. In the case of Loose Fur, comprised of Jeff Tweedy and Glen Kotche of Wilco, along with experimental guru Jim O’Rourke, one would think they’d be given marquee status at this stage of the game. On their second collaboration –Born Again In The USA, Loose Fur ups the ante, yet thankfully remains on the underground, despite the accessibility of album’s opening one-two punch.

“Hey Chicken” bolsters a classic rock texture of power chords and slap in your face lyrics of “hey chicken/you’re all talk.” Whistling and sunshine acoustic guitars from a familiar 70’s folk tune dominate “The Ruling Class,” perhaps the catchiest song Tweedy has ever written. It’s eye opening lyrics - “Christ is on his way across town / he was getting tired of hanging around/ he’s back Jack, smoking crack, find him if you wanna get found” places a new pop identity with Loose Fur.

O’Rourke steers things in a different direction on “Answers to Your Questions” with an atmospheric ballad complemented by Kotche’s soft percussion, while “Apostolic” features an interesting guitar workout that crosses the line somewhere between Yes and Sonic Youth. Loose Fur also explores their experimental side on the instrumental “An Ecumenical Matter” that may lose some ears. If there is a complaint to be found it, it’s trying to find a label for Loose Fur. For Jim O’Rourke fans, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.