Metascore
87 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 26
  2. Negative: 1 out of 26
  1. 100
    Complex and dangerously catchy, lyrically sophisticated and provocative, noisy and somehow serene, Wilco's aging new album is simply a masterpiece; it is equally magnificent in headphones, cars and parties.... No one is too good for this album; it is better than all of us.
  2. 100
    This disc's rich, exotic flavor gets more intense the longer you chew on it.
  3. 100
    A masterpiece, exactly the sort of record that your average sentient pop genius should make in 2002. [May 2002, p.99]
  4. 100
    The sheer scope of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is so utterly breathtaking that repeat airings only reinforce its stunning songcraft and otherworldly sonic splendor.
  5. ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' is a subliminal album. Spin it once and it barely registers. Play it five or six times and its vaporous, insinuating, rusty-carousel melodies start to carve out a permanent orbit in your skull.
  6. I'm not sure if it's the work by O'Rourke or the progression of the group (or a little of both), but this disc is so multi-layered that it's easy to hear new things many many times after the first listen.
  7. A stark, mostly beautiful but sometimes mind-numbing disc.
  8. Rarely has a record balanced such quality lyrics with such pretty music; it is also a rare occasion when a record can be both deeply sad and uplifting at the same time.
  9. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more adventurous and rewarding release this year.
  10. A carefully layered, multifaceted album in terms of its sound, music, lyrics, and thematic cohesion -- in short, a great musical achievement.
  11. Wilco's most rewarding work yet. [#34, p.60]
  12. Yankee confirms what fans have long suspected: Wilco was right, the label was wrong, and the album could be the best of the band's career.
  13. After a while -- a familiarity period if you will -- it becomes clear that these songs are not only fully realized, they're damn near brilliant.
  14. It's a gripping darkness that doesn't often lift. It's hard going, but it's worth it, and that is undoubtedly their point.
  15. The most worth-the-wait long-awaited album in the world... ever? Could be...
  16. 80
    The most common description of this much-discussed album over the past few months is that YHF is Americana's Kid A. In truth, it's more successful than that. [May 2002, p.112]
  17. 80
    Tweedy whittles down the arrangements and drops in enough experimental nuances to make the whole thing sound refreshingly lo-fi. [Jun/Jul 2002, p.116]
  18. While their songs still maintain the loose intimacy that was apparent on their debut AM, the music has matured to reveal a complexity that is rare in pop music, yet showcased perfectly on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
  19. Battered, bonkers and bewitching in equal parts, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot at last finds Wilco's "interesting" phase becoming downright fascinating. [May 2002, p.121]
  20. An earthy, moving psychedelia, eleven iridescent-country songs about surviving a blown mind and a broken heart.
  21. Tweedy takes conventional songforms birthed on his acoustic guitar and scrambles them completely, reassembled into fractured, dissonant epics with the help of the reliably brilliant Jim O'Rourke.
  22. 80
    Like so many great fuzzy rock albums, from the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street to R.E.M.'s Murmur, it takes a few listens to seep into your bloodstream.
  23. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is basically a good album, even a great album if you're in the mood, though if you listen to a lot of hip-hop (or house music or basement bhangra or any other genre not dominated by white people), it probably won't be the most extraordinary album you'll hear all month.
  24. More time spent in the songwriting lab might have yielded material more suitable to the evident studio effort invested and brought Wilco closer to making a truly great album.
  25. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's faceless, airbrushed production takes you back to the dead days of 1970s AOR radio. [#220, p.66]
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 147 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 86
  2. Negative: 5 out of 86
  1. 10
    Awesome, music from the rock and roll angels! Great songs jammed out to their max, along with slow and thoughtful sing-alongs. Instantly and unilaterally establishes the Tweedy legend. Full Review »
  2. A.M. was basically an extension of Uncle Tupelo; with Being There, Wilco moved from country to a kind of alternative country and have slowly swayed from their roots with each album. However, they manage to change styles without losing their appeal. Not a real catchy group of songs but a solid one nonetheless. Full Review »
  3. I still cover 2 of these songs professionally: Jesus etc. and Pot Kettle Black (for those that feel there are no pop hooks) On my worst review I give it a 6; on my best a 9-something.... there are songs I still skip over (heavy metal drummer, kamera, radio cure) songs I still play (jesus etc., pot kettle black) song I'm indifferent (reservations, war on war, I'm the Man....) and song I still am intrigued by (poor places, I am trying..., ashes--esp the outlying guitar part) did they hype it? probably but why not hype what you've put a lot of work into? and I never actually bought any of it so I give them a 9 overall Full Review »