Wilco [The Album]

Since its debut album "A.M.", Wilco has gone through a lot of ups and downs commercially, even though the band has enjoyed ever-climbing critical success, perhaps none more so than with the long-delayed (because of label problems) 2002 "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" album, in my book stil the finest album of the band. Yet always throughout you got the sense that Jeff Tweedy, the band's singer-song writer, was trying to prove something. With the band's reputation clearly established, now comes the 7th studio album, 2 years after the slightly disappointing (if ambitious) "Sky Blue Sky" album.

"Wilco (the album)" (11 tracks; 43 min.) kicks off with perhaps the band's most irreverent/accessible and tongue-in-cheek song ever, "Wilco (the song)", with great lyrics like "Do you dabble in depression/Is someone twisting a knife in your back/Are you being attacked/Wilco will love you baby". This should find plenty of airplay on mainstream commercial radio if it was still any good, which of course it isn't. The best songs on the album are on the first half, such as beautiful pensive "One Wing", which is followed by the most adventurous track on here, "Bull Black Nova" which eventually gives way to a searing guitar solo from Nels Cline. It is followed by a gentle "You and I", featuring Feist on vocals. The first half of the album is capped by an exuberant "You Never Know". I rate the first half of the album 4.5 stars. The second half doesn't contain as many attention-grabbing songs, although there are still a couple of nuggets, such as the quiet "Solitaire", the feisty and instantly likeable love song "I'll Fight", and the beautiful closer "Everlasting Everything". I rate the second half of the album 3.5 stars.

At 43 min. this album clips by in no time. There is no grand experimenting here that marked the YHF or "A Ghost is Born" albums. Perhaps for the first time ever, Jeff Tweedy sounds like he is at peace with himself, sounding relaxed and confident, and bringing nice, but not ground-breaking, songs. That aside, Wilco has ascended as one of the top live acts around, period. I've seen the band many times in the last 10 years, most recently a few weeks ago at the Bonnaroo music festival, where they brought a fabulous 2 hr set, featuring a number of the songs of the new album, which mashed nicely with older tunes. In all, "Wilco (the album)" brings forth a nice, mature album from a band that knows where it's at, with confidence. I've been on a long ride with this band, and I really like what I'm hearing. Last but not least: props for the cover art of the album, I just love it.

Wilco has always been a band more than willing to change things up to fit whatever wild musical direction they felt like pursuing. From the sunny pop harmonies of Summerteeth, to their oscillating experimentalist rock on A Ghost is Born, to the big middle finger to the music industry that was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Jeff Tweedy and company have not been content to sit on their laurels. That's why it was a little disheartening to hear their 2007 work Sky Blue Sky, a record rightly criticized for its fairly tame material and, dare I say it, a boring Wilco record.

That isn't to say Wilco is at their best when they're experimenting or throwing all songwriting conventions to the wind; indeed, Summerteeth more than proved this band had the chops to make bright `70s pop their own, and opener "Wilco (The Song)" only supports them further. As Tweedy asks "are times getting tough / are the roads you travel rough" over a crunching backbeat and guitarist Nels Cline's distorted shrill, it's even more obvious than after Sky Blue Sky that Tweedy has left his millennial demons behind him. When the chorus of "Wilco, Wilco, Wilco will love you, baby" hits, it fires off the album in the best kind of pop direction, one bursting with vibrancy and the kind of energy the band seemed to lack on their last effort.

It's hard to pigeonhole Wilco in any other way other than their clear energy, as, much like the band's discography, things change quick here. "Deeper Down" is an intricately fingerpicked exercise in how to build atmosphere, while a song like "Sunny Feeling" builds itself around another sinuous riff by Cline (whose distinctive guitar work is truly the highlight of the musicians here) and a charged performance by Tweedy. The lovely "You and I," meanwhile, is a simple acoustic duet with Feist that initially seems like it's going to choke on cloying amounts of sweetness, but the sincere lyrics ("I think we can take it / all the good with the bad / make something that no one else has") and the unexpectedly natural pairing that Feist and Tweedy make turns it into the album's heartwarming center.

If "You and I" is the heart, then the stunningly crafted "Bull Black Nova" is the dark, twisted brain behind Wilco's talent. Part "Via Chicago" and part "Spiders (Kidsmoke)," the tale of spousal homicide is equally a haunting confessional and an instrumental showcase, particularly past the midpoint where Cline puts on a virtuoso solo that is undeniably Wilco. Tweedy's lyrics are as grainy and real as a black-and-white crime scene photograph, his protagonist worrying "it's my hair / there's blood in the sink / I can't calm down, I can't think" before the guitars coalesce into a distorted, needling whirl and Tweedy sums everything up with a wild shriek: "I freak out / oh black out."

A few songs, however, betray Wilco's lazier tendencies, particularly first single "You Never Know." The tinkling pianos and arena rock riffs showcase the worst from Sky Blue Sky's MOR-ready malaise, and the chorus lacks the kind of rushing energy of "Wilco (The Song)." "I'll Fight" largely falls into the same lite-rock morass, although this time it's Tweedy's uninspired lyrics ("I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go for you / I will" goes the chorus) that doom the song. And it's a shame that the album has to end on the cheesy whimper that is "Everlasting Everything," where Tweedy spouts such wise sentiments as "everything alive must die / every building built to the sky will fall" and the most exciting part is the trippy guitar confetti Cline throws on the end of the track.

But for most of Wilco, the band is more than up to the task of again opening up a new chapter in their history, one that calls up shadows of their past in songs like the mournful, double-tracked "Solitaire" and simultaneously proves that the band are striking out for new territory, like in the uncharacteristically optimistic titular song or the charming "You and I." By balancing the best of their pop sensibilities with their irresistible creative energies, Wilco have made their most confident record, one nearly brimming, even for all its flaws, with possibilities for the future.

Wilco is a tough band to deal with. They take chances. They cannot be pigeonholed. They do not cowtow towards fans, critics or anybody else. And, unfortunately, they can be a victim of their own success. This is a good cd, with some terrific songs. The musicianship is spellbinding and the song writing top rate.

I fell in love with this band on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". That cd is meant to be listened to, from start to finish...like "Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Their follow up, "A Ghost is Born", really in the same vein, was also a wonderfully adventerous work. The problem is that you cannot always create only masterpieces, it's an unrealistic expectation.

Wilco (the album) is good, classic Wilco. It's a more quiet work, with virtuostic yet very subdued playing. Yet, there is still real good stuff on it with not a lame track, and some great tunes like "Bull Black Nova" (classic avante garde/experimental Wilco), "You Never Know", "Everlasting, everything" and "Sonny Feeling".

"Sky Blue Sky" was thought to be a lesser work and now, in hindsight, "Impossible Germany", "Walken" and "What Light" rank way up there with their other great songs.

Jeff Tweedy is past 40 and guitar ace Nels Cline (who is awesome and brings a lot to the band) is past 50. You will have to expect maturity with their work.

With this being their seventh work and with every album having it's own distinct personality, what other band has had this type of consistency?

Wilco has been one of my favorite (the favorite) bands ever since I heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and this album continues the band's enduring legacy of great music. Wilco (the album) finds the band returning to their alt-country roots with more simple song-writing and more relaxed and less complex songs. This album reminds me of the vibe I got from Being There or Summerteeth.

Jeff Tweedy sounds like he is finally comfortable with himself and the band, which gives this album a really relaxed and laid-back feeling. Tweedy's song-writing has stayed strong and his vocals mesh well with the band. There are no big rockers on this album like Sky Blue Sky or Ghost is Born, but it's ok because all of the songs fit together very well, in the calmer atomosphere of the album as a whole.

The album opens with Wilco (the song), a shuffle that gives a good taste of the band. Leslie Feist is featured on "You and I," the vocalist from the group Feist. She sings a duet with Tweedy which makes for a beautiful song. This is followed by You Never Know, which sounds almost reminiscent of a song from George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass." The album is mostly a peaceful affair, such as Solitaire, one of the calmest Wilco songs I've ever heard. The experimental and rock-out that were common on the last few albums can only be glimpsed at on the last few songs of the album, like on the catchy 'I'll Fight.'

This is a very tight album packed with feel-good, relaxing, country-tinged songs. The band sounds as good as ever; like they finally feel at home with themselves. The songs are all 3-4 minute range and the album is around 43 minutes total, so it's not overdone, and will give you many hours of listening pleasure!

Man, what do people have against Sky Blue Sky? It's one of my favorite albums from the last five or ten years. As for Wilco (the Album)...

I've really gotten to like "Wilco (The Song)" a lot for what it is. It's fun and rollicking, and it's not even quite as silly as it seems at first. "Deeper Down" is very pretty - overwhelmingly so in places -- but not overly exciting. "One Wing" has some really fantastic imagery and evokes an emotional response, but not the kind that I want to have every day. Still a very nice song, though. "Bull Black Nova" is definitely interesting in that it does a very good job of painting quite a picture, but it chugs along for too long - it's not necessarily its length, but its repetitiveness. I guess that's part of the point, but it doesn't completely work, and the track never really has a killer hook. Too bad, too, because it seems like it's on the verge of being a truly great track. "You and I" is real dern purdy. No real complaints with it, as it's not the kind of song that really needs a hook. "You Never Know" is kind of a drag. It has one or two clever lyrics, but it never really goes anywhere, and musically it's exceedingly boring. I'm really baffled as to why they decided to play that on Conan. Not a very strong track at all (for Wilco, anyway). "Country Disappeared" is kind of pretty, but also kind of sleepy and quite forgettable. I like "I'll Fight" quite a bit, although it too is a tad on the sleepy side (not in a necessarily bad way, though). I think "Sunny Feeling" is pretty good, and it reminds me of certain parts of Sky Blue Sky. I guess I just don't get the point of "Everlasting." I suppose there's nothing wrong with the sentiment in conveys, but it's kind of clichéd and the song does nothing for me. The album would be better off being one track shorter. Oh, well. Overall, I think the album is somewhat lacking in drama and hooks. There are some terribly pretty passages on it, but the rocker in me misses the... rock. It's a nice album in general, but I feel that it ranks near the bottom as far as Wilco albums go. I do think that even a weaker Wilco album is still quite good, though. I'm admittedly a bit disappointed with it as a follow up to Sky Blue Sky, but I'll live.

By the way, the product description erroneously states that Wilco debuted some of this material at the 2009 Jazz Fest in New Orleans. I was there for the entire show, and they didn't play a single track from this record. In fact, John Stirratt was interviewed before the show, and specifically stated that they wouldn't be playing any of the tracks from the yet to be released album.

I've enjoyed all of Wilco's recent albums, but this one is really quite bland, and their sound has lost its edge. The melodies don't grab, and the lyrics that stand out seem cliched or repetitive of older themes. They seem like genuinely good people, and I hope they can recapture their inspiration.

4.5 Stars.

I remember, years ago, listening to Wilco's Summerteeth album and thinking that this band should be huge. It was that album which got me hooked on Wilco, and each subsequent release has felt like a significant event. Of course the band did gain an appropriate degree of notoriety with the grandly conceptual Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and every album since has been met with high expectations (at least from me) and sometimes intense critical scrutiny.

Wilco has changed its approach and pared back its sound a lot since the days of YHF and Tweedy's experimental side project, Loose Fur. Gone are the studio bells and whistles, or the 10-minute noisefests which appeared on A Ghost Is Born (the follow-up to YHF). The shift towards a subtler sound and band-oriented approach came on Wilco's 2007 release, Sky Blue Sky. That album had a sound reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan, with hushed vocals and an intimate feel. This album largely continues along the same lines, representing a refinement of concept rather than a major statement of purpose.

Many of the songs on this album are subtle and thoughtful, with an almost stately chamber-pop feel. Take for example "Deeper Down," "You And I" (a duet with Feist), and the gentle "Country Disappeared." All of these would have also made sense in the context of Sky Blue Sky (albeit with a slightly expanded instrumental palette). "One Wing" (one of my favorites here) starts off quietly and builds into a sweeping, grand wash of harmonies and soaring instrumentation.

However, a few songs differ sharply from the others, making the album a diverse and at times confusing experience. Much has been said of the cheeky opener, "Wilco (The Song)." This is a fun and upbeat song that resonates deeply with this listener, who for many years has sought solace in Wilco's music. It's a good way to start off an album that is by-and-large very warm and welcoming. The big exception to this warm quality however is the terrifying "Bull Black Nova," which arrives in the fourth spot. This song is a nightmare set to music, kind of a modern day murder ballad. It's very well executed, using the swirling and at times almost atonal instrumentation to mimic the narrator's horror at the crime he has just committed. In fact, with its novelistic attention to detail, I'd go so far as to call it brilliant. Yet it's also (IMHO) horribly out of place amongst this pack of songs and would have been better off as a non-album single. The song does serve to rattle this listener's cage (props for that) but at the expense of the album's cohesiveness.

So overall a great album, but one half-star down for the lack of cohesiveness here. It's a great batch of songs but fails to add up to more than the sum of its parts as an album. Yet that's small stuff. This is one of my favorites this year and keeps me eager to see what more this band will have in store in the years to come.

Tweedy has not written a really engaging melody on this record (although You and I comes close), but the band, the arrangements, and everything else that makes sounds like Wilco in top form. But the only difference between most these songs are the arrangements and the lyrics; the chords and melodies are just swapped around leading to a wall of sameness by the time the CD is over. I loved the first four Wilco records, they were filled with songs I could hum and "Sky Blue Sky" had its moments, but here Tweedy appears to be coasting on his laurels.

Typical good songs but it would have been very interesting to see how this album would have fleshed out if Jay Bennett was still in the band at the time it was recorded. These songs are missing that extra "something". While I understand there were reasons for Jay and the band to part ways, I never realized how important he was to the development of the albums sounds until he was gone. While I can appreciate the contributions and playing of players like Jim O'Rourke,Nels Cline and Pat Sansone, Jay Bennett appears to have been much more important in his contributions than I had previously thought. Like Blue Sky Blue, this record is missing that little bit of something that Jay brought to Being There,Summerteeth and YHF.

Another well made offering from the consistently unique and creative Wilco. A step down from earlier works but a worthy purchase nevertheless.