Wilco
Nonesuch 2009
Wilco (the band) are done experimenting. They know their sound now. They shaped and honed it through Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born. We thought we saw a different side of them on Sky Blue Sky but it turns out they were settling into a groove. Wilco (the album) is Wilco (the band) in a place where they're happy.
Wilco (the album) is a great collection of songs showcasing the whole spectrum of the Wilco. It contains sing-a-long numbers like those from Summerteeth that will stick in your head all day (Wilco (the song)), experimental guitar numbers like Spiders (kidsmoke) (Bull Black Nova) and beautiful simple guitar songs (You and I). In short there is something for every Wilco fan here. But does it make a great album? Yes.
Every Wilco album I've ever listened to is a grower. I hated Yankee Hotel Foxtrot the first time I played it, yet something kept drawing me back. Wilco (the album) is no different. First time around Wilco (the Song) will have you hitting repeat over and over again. It's a tongue-in-cheek self aware song about how much the band love their fans, providing a "sonic shoulder to cry on" who'll love you baby, even when no one else will. The next listen you'll notice One Wing, a fine Wilco song with one of the finest Wilco riffs yet. In repeated listens you'll get stuck on "You and I", the gorgeous love song duet with Fiest and perhaps my new favourite song before reaching "Country Disappeared" with it's nod to George Harrison, the guitar rock "I Don't Know" and the closer "Everlasting" surprisingly similar to Sky Blue Sky's last song - "On and On and On".
Wilco (the album) is not strikingly different like YHF was. It is a natural progression from the previous records, but it is fresh, it is inventive and it is worth buying.
Rating: 8/10
LISTEN TO WILCO LIVE IN MILWAUKEE
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