Album Review: Wilco — “Wilco (The Album)”

It’s ironic that as the U.S. collectively shits the bed, Wilco — the band that built a career on articulating modern American angst — hasn’t sounded this upbeat in a decade. Coupled with the feather-light Sky Blue Sky, Wilcologists may call this the group’s “rose period.” You could also call it what it is: frontman Jeff Tweedy is pretty much through making grand statements in favor of jamming out with his band. Unfortunately, said jams — and (The Album) as a whole — just can’t compete with their best work.

Things get off to a promising start with the deliciously meta “Wilco (The Song),” and the epic “One Wing” and murder-fantasy “Bull Black Nova” are obvious highlights. But not even a Feist cameo can save the pleasant-but-limp “You and I,” and the rest of the album kills time between catchy dad-rock (scolding lyrics like “Come on, children, you’re acting like children” are, like, the definition of dad-rock) and songs that are good-enough yet ultimately forgettable. The band that once successfully tried breaking our hearts with cross-genre experiments has seemingly settled for a smoother road, but at least Tweedy — who famously struggled with panic attacks and pill addiction — sounds happy. The guys in Wilco are no longer killing themselves to reinvent the wheel; they’re simply content to enjoy the rest of the ride.

(Read my 2007 review of Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky after the jump.)

‘Sky’ High: Wilco — Sky Blue Sky review (June 2007)

Over its 13-year history, Wilco has gone through multiple lineups, breakdowns and reinventions. The only constant may be bandleader Jeff Tweedy’s unwavering quest to follow his temperamental, wandering muse. After chasing it through the assassin avenues of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and getting lost in the chrome hell of A Ghost is Born, Tweedy found his muse in an unlikely spot this time: the sun-baked, open fields of Sky Blue Sky.

Sky Blue Sky is infused with optimism missing from previous Wilco albums (even an upbeat song like Foxtrot’s “Heavy Metal Drummer” glumly obsesses over happier times long gone). From the easy rockers “Side With the Seeds” and “Walken” to the quieter moments such as “Leave Me (Like You Found Me)” and “On and On and On,” Tweedy sounds like he’s actually enjoying himself.

Maybe his band mates have something to do with it. This is the first Wilco album to feature songs written by the whole group — not Tweedy alone — and the results are refreshing. Sure, Tweedy’s still in charge (if Wilco is Cuba, Jeff Tweedy is Fidel Castro), but the benevolent dictator takes a step back — and his cohorts skillfully step up (listen for Nels Cline’s solo on the stunning “Impossible Germany” and Glenn Kotche’s inventive drum fills on “Hate it Here”). However, the sonic studio frills that punctuated Foxtrot (and later mushroomed into the 12-minute droning section of Ghost’s “Less Than You Think”) have mostly been abandoned in favor of this new “live rock band” mentality.

With less singing duties, Tweedy often eschews his vague poetics for the direct approach — revealing some of himself in the process. While “Please Be Patient With Me” could be a plea from his days in rehab, “What Light” seems to sum up Tweedy’s musical philosophy: “If you like singing a song/and you want other people to sing along/just sing what you feel/don’t let anyone say it’s wrong.”

Amen, Jeff. Enjoy the sunshine — you’ve earned it.