Having successfully pushed the boundaries of what defines the Wilco sound on their last two LPs, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, respectively, Jeff Tweedy and company return with Sky Blue Sky, a mature album that returns to the more traditional song structures found on the outfits earlier material.
The past six years have seen major stylistic makeovers in both Wilco’s sound as well as the core makeup of the band members themselves. Other than Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt is the only other original member from the band’s post Uncle Tupelo inception. With an evolving/revolving cast of players, various influences and sounds have melded and co-existed with Tweedy’s vision to varying results. Here, on Sky Blue Sky, this latest Wilco incarnation scale things back and give the audince an album free from studio trickery, krautrock, and other embellishments found on their first two 21st century releases. And it works.
Sky Blue Sky feels organic, inhabiting a retro space that avoids pastiche, not unlike the group’s 1996 double-album Being There. Those who appreciated the more straightforward and softer side to A Ghost Is Born will find much to enjoy here, as the album’s steady and confident cadence gives the album a flow its predecessor lacked.
Download:
MP3: Wilco :: What Light
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Video: Wilco :: What Light (DVD)
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Amazon: Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
www.wilcoworld.net ++ www.myspace.com/wilco ++ www.wilcobase.com
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Glad you like this record, man. I’m planning on writing something long about it as soon as I get a minute.
1 | Dave Rawkblog May 14th, 2007 at 9:06 pmAgree with you and with Dave….I love this record…pretty excited to see the DVD when I pick it up tomorrow. However, I would contend that some of Nels’ guitar playing is pretty “out there”…This album is light years better than the last in my opinion.
2 | adam May 14th, 2007 at 9:18 pmthey can do no wrong…awesome album
3 | Phil Long May 14th, 2007 at 9:53 pmLove it, but my wife hates the extanded guitar lead on “Impossible Germany”. She doesn’t think it fits, and says it makes her “nervous”. Go figure.
4 | Eric May 15th, 2007 at 12:35 pm[…] Listening to music, just having it there simply as a supporting cast member in the scenes of your life is something entirely enjoyable and fulfilling all unto itself. Yet many times in life it unknowingly attaches itself to bits and pieces of your life, but until now I’ve had no Wilco stories. Today my Wilco story arrived, and as a matter of fact it’s still settling in. Wilco, as a group, is one that the people who write the sites I read love (cough, cough), the people I respect love, yet a band I have never really paid any time to. Something has changed. […]
5 | Culture Bully » Wilco’s “Impossible Germany” May 15th, 2007 at 5:22 pmdoes anyone put any faith in pitchfork reviews? amazing, that they trashed this great record
6 | Phil Long May 15th, 2007 at 9:19 pmI’ve been a big Wilco fan from the beginning, and I’m just not buying the hype on this album. I’ve listened to it enough times, but just can’t change my mind. It’s background music. It sounds lazy and uninspired. I expected better.
7 | Eric May 16th, 2007 at 1:39 pmI feel this is a much better album than a lot of reviews have stated. It’s not as good as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but think it’s much beter than A Ghost Is Born. Looking forward to hearing these songs live at Bonnaroo in a month.
8 | Anthony May 16th, 2007 at 6:07 pmit’s good to see someone not afraid to publicly laud this album. it is wonderful. yet another new step for a constantly changing band. they have never recorded something this tight, this crisp. and the musicianship is impeccable! perfect!!!
9 | christian May 17th, 2007 at 12:36 amSo far I agree with eric — it sounds washed-out and bland to me. Like Tweedy on Xanax, backed by Air Supply. It might grow on me, but as yet the whole record’s about waiting for “What Light” to arrive.
10 | Staggerlee May 19th, 2007 at 5:00 pm