Wilco (The Reviews)

By The Beachwood Critics Affairs Desk

Wilco's new album, Wilco (The Album), is scheduled for a June 30 release but the reviews are already coming in. (You can hear the streams for yourself.)

Let's take a look.

*

Critic: Greg Kot, Tribune
Review: "Wilco Presents Nuanced Snapshots on Self-Titled Release."
Verdict: "[A] mostly modest collection of sturdy songs."
Song Descriptions:

- ""Deeper Down": "[S]wathed in a lovely, chamber-pop arrangement augmented by harpsichord and sighing lap-steel guitar."

- "You and I": "[E]xplores a fragile bond, as voiced by Tweedy and guest vocalist Feist . . . sparse simplicity."

- "Everlasting": "[O]rchestral flourishes . . . surges with quiet conviction and finishes with a bird-song guitar solo that echoes the Duane Allman-led coda of Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla."

- "Bull Black Nova": "[A] stomach-churning wake-up call . . . among the most harrowing songs Wilco has recorded.

- "Wilco (The Song)": "[A] boisterous shot of reassurance . . . both a tongue-in-cheek wink and a blast of feel-good sincerity, riding a wave of guitar drone and punctuated with bell tones. It is that rare thing: an anthem with a sense of humor, a grand statement that doesn't sound like a grand statement. Listen to it, and try not to smile. That's what the healing power of music should sound like."

*

Critic: Jim DeRogatis, Sun-Times
Review: "Wilco Keeps It Simple In New Album."
Verdict: "[A] summing-up of what the band is and everywhere it's been,"
Song Descriptions:

- "Wilco (The Song)": "[A] heartfelt country-pop thank you to the fans, as well as an idealistic statement about the healing power of music.

- "You Never Know": "[L]ifts a hook from Sly Stone's 'Everyday People' and pairs it with George Harrison's signature guitar."

- "One Wing": "[B]oasts some of the most gorgeous harmonies the group's recorded."

- "Country Disappeared" and "Solitaire": "[B]oth nod to mid-period Big Star with their fragile but pretty melodies and melancholy lyrics."

- "You and I": "[A]a sweet pop duet with Leslie Feist."

- "Sunny Feeling": "[T]he best Tom Petty song that Petty never wrote."

- "Bull Black Nova": "[A]n exquisitely creepy examination of the aftermath of a murder, with Tweedy's edgiest vocal performance and a guitar explosion worthy of Television."

- "Everlasting Everything": "[B]ig orchestral swells rife with tympani and tubular bells."

*

Critic: J. Niimi, Time Out Chicago
Review: "Wilco (The Album)."
Verdict: "'More sonic flavor,' as lead guitarist Nels Cline puts it. 'It's more orchestrated, more composed . . . baroque . . . but not rococo!'"
Song Descriptions:

- "I'll Fight": "[A]n up-tempo ballad in which his dour refrain of 'I'll die for you' is sweetened by B-3 organ bleats."

- "Deeper Down": "Cline lays down gorgeous lap steel and electric leads that are at once country, Andalusian and bebop."

*

Critic: Jonathan Cohen, Billboard
Review: "Wilco Returns With Electic Album."
Verdict: "[O]ffers a little bit of everything."
Song Descriptions:

- "Bull Black Nova": "[B]uilt on a pulsating rhythm . . .layered with clattering piano and unhinged, interlocking guitar workouts."

- "Deeper Down": "[G]auzy . . . short verses that come to a full stop and a wealth of sonic details in its nooks and crannies."

- "One Wing": "[G]ripping . . . builds from a quiet introductory section to a strident, arena-worthy stomper."

- "Everlasting": "[S]trings and horns color the majestic final portion."

- " Wilco (The Song)": "[A] humorous, self-referential rocker with the reminder that even when life gets you down, 'Wilco will love you, baby'."

- "You and I": "[A] gorgeous duet between Tweedy and Feist about the simple pleasures of love.

- "You Never Know": "[A] flashback to the ebullient pop/rock of 1999's Summerteeth."

- "Sonny Feeling": "[K]icks out a groovy, slide guitar-laden jam."

*

Critic: The R.O.B., (London, ON) Burgeoning Metropolis
Review: "Mr. G's Song of the Week."
Verdict: "Playing it safer than some of their more experimental offerings from years past."
Song Descriptions:

- "Bull Black Nova": "[T]he perfect musical representation of what it must feel like to endure a full-on panic attack."

*

Critic: Kevin O'Donnell, Rolling Stone
Review: "Wilco Keep It Simple."
Verdict: "[A] little something for everyone."
Song Descriptions:

- "One Wing" and "Sunny Feeling": "[B]reezy, pop-friendly tunes."

- "Deeper Down": "[A] mellow ballad spiked with atmospherics and chamber strings."

- "Bull Black Nova": "[S]tarts with rollicking drums, stacatto keys and guitars before exploding into a killer solo from guitarist Nels Cline."

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