"sky blue sky" by wilco

it would seem that jeff tweedy, founder and leader of wilco, america's most compelling band, has found a little space to breathe. after battling bouts of depression, chemical dependence, and migraines, feuding with band mates and labels, and fielding the burden of once being the reluctant architect of alt-country and the godhead of the avant-garde at the same time, he has settled into a place of peace and found a little space to create a sublime record that is both reflective and stable. "sky blue sky", the bands sixth proper studio album, is a respite in the frantic musical catalog that has brought the band to the forefront of the dialogue concerning the future of rock and roll.

while wilco has changed styles as often as line-ups, it would appear that they have rested on at least one account; the roster. the new record features original members tweedy and john stirratt (bass), as well as glenn kotche (drums), mike jorgensen (keyboards), multi-instrumentalist pat sansone and guitar hero nels cline. the voice however, is a reach back to laurel canyon, sun drenched, country rock, that may come as a surprise to those who have known the band to be on the leading fringe of pop-experiementalism. but they come by that sound honestly, with a musical lineage that is more beholden to gram parsons and the beach boys than brian eno and the mothers of invention.

the instrumentation on the record alone suggests a reach back to a more organic genesis than the electronic noise of the critics choice "yankee hotel foxtrot" and the sprawling kraut rock influenced "a ghost is born." sky blue abandons for the most part the lap tops in favor of the lap steel, as well as acoustic guitars and gentle organs, while attempting to engage with wilting, melodic diddy's like the title track, that suggest the band is coming up for air. tweedy echos those sentiments in lyrics: "oh i didn't die / i should be satisfied / i survived / it's good enough for now."


"what light" studio performance

the record also features some more soulful numbers that hearken back to the "being there" era with songs like "walken" and "side with the seeds." but make no mistake, cline and kotche take their shots at injecting a dose of deconstruction into the standard and familiar. years from now, it may be that "sky blue sky" is an overlooked record in wilco's workbook. it doesn't have the mesmerizing numbers that were found on their last two studio outputs, the alert urgency of their live album, or the poppy hooks and accessible tunes of their earlier records, but what it does offer, is a sweet soundtrack for those looking to reflect on a hectic existence without loosing their desire to live with tension.

wilco world