So far 2009 is turning out to be a fantastic year for music, and it’s only about half over. The latest album that caught my ear is Wilco’s new self-titled album.
Wilco’s output tends to be inconsistent, like they were constantly searching for the right sound, but they seem to have found it on this album. I preferred their more rock-oriented sound of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” to the more laid back sound of “Sky Blue Sky”, although YHF had a bit too much noise that detracted from some of the songs.
Wilco (the album) reaches the ideal middle ground between the two extremes, with songs that are instantly catchy and will have you humming them for days. These are some of Wilco’s happiest and most positive songs ever. “Wilco (the song)” is just plain fun. “You never know” & “I’ll Fight” may be their best songs. There are no weak songs on this album; this is another album I can listen to from start to finish without skipping any songs.
In the months leading up to the release, I discovered and started reading Spencer Tweedy’s blog (Jeff’s son), which is always interesting in its own right, as well as often giving an insider’s view of their current tour.
