The One With the Wurlitzer - By American Football
TITLE: The One With the Wurlitzer
ARTIST: American Football
GENRE: Post-rock / Hardcore punk
MOOD: Mellow / Confessional / Dissonant
SIMILAR TO: Secret Stuff, Modern Baseball
Interestingly, American Football has released 3 self-titled albums over the span of almost two decades. It’s definitely not due to a lack of creativity, judging by the expressive lyrics of most of their songs, but it’s a curious artistic choice all the same. American Football’s last song on American Football (1999), is a blend of melodic guitar strumming and gentle drumming. “The One With the Wurlitzer” is the 9th song of the 9 tracks, and doesn’t say much in general. In many ways, it’s composed of similar elements as its predecessor, “The One With the Tambourine”, which was released a year before on another self-titled album, American Football EP (1998). Even so, although it includes the same background guitar and drums, it incorporates new elements that transform it into an entirely different sound. The addition of the tranquil trumpet ambling slowly along demonstrates the ease of the song while also unveiling its complexities.
More than anything else, this track is meant to be the conclusive ending, the one that winds you down after the emotional ride of the album. “The One With the Wurlitzer” is the final sentence in a novel that both calms you but also sends you reeling. In many people’s minds, the contrast between this song and “The One With the Tambourine” shows that the latter is certainly better, mostly likely due to its emotional lyrics and catchy riffs. However, when looking closer, “The One With the Wurlitzer” does have a certain quality that is slow, but conveys a lot of feeling. It’s different than the other hardcore songs in the album, and conveys a subtle rustic quality that is unlike anything American Football has produced before. It’s soothing, ambient, and best for times where you are alone. Knowing the origin of the song and acknowledging the purposeful titling, one can deduce that this song is American Football’s nostalgic nod to their past. There’s just something about it that hits you somewhere beneath the ribs where it hurts, lodges itself in, and then stays there. It knows that there’s no need for words, and you learn that there’s no need for anything other than a gentle tune to walk to.