Preview: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
By: Brett Hickman |
Monday April 16, 2007 |
| A ray of light |
| There is a gentle spirit that guides Sky Blue Sky, Wilco's
sixth studio album (due out May 15th on Nonesuch Records). The band,
which consists of Jeff Tweedy (of course), John Stirratt
(bass/vocals), Glenn Kotche (drums/percussion), Mikael Jorgensen
(keyboards), Pat Sansone (multi-instrumentalist) and Nels Cline (to
simply refer to Cline as a "guitarist" belittles this maestro's
talents), worked on all of the material together, often recording
tracks "live" (with Tweedy singing in the same room as the band, a
rarity by today's standards). Tweedy described the sessions to
Rolling Stone as "Six people in a room, playing one song all day for
six or seven hours, and everyone reaching a consensus on how it should
sound." Considering how the band's past albums have reached their
final destination, the recording sounds positively blissful.
And listening to Sky Blue Sky, the first studio release to feature this version of the band (2005's live double disc Kicking Television came first), garners a similar reaction. A Wilco album has never sounded as relaxed, as unfettered by the band's or Tweedy's past, or as simple as Sky Blue Sky does. And that's simple not as in lacking complexity, but rather as in lacking complications. The band's past difficulties are well documented, especially those involving their recording sessions. So when Stirratt says, also to Rolling Stone, that "this was definitely the most civilized record Wilco has ever made," and you hear the album, you believe him. Sky Blue Sky could not be coming out at a better time of year, too. It's very essence is pastoral and lush, a dazzling beauty of an album with a sumptuous sound despite the fact that it features far less instrumentation than the band has become known for. The easygoing, 70s pop vibe found here would seem to be directly influenced by not only Tweedy's love of such music, but also from Sansone and Stirratt, whose side project The Autumn Defense's release of this year is a close relative to Sky Blue Sky's musical sensibilities. Meanwhile Cline's ample abilities have made an impact on Tweedy's guitar work, with the two men (and perhaps Sansone as well - full credits have yet to be divulged) involved in numerous musical exchanges (it wouldn't be fair to call them "solos") throughout the album, most notably on "Impossible Germany." Further, by keeping things simple, Jorgensen and Kotche become the band's musical backbone. The decision by Kotche in particular to scale back to just his drum kit (Kotche has always demonstrated a unique ability to service the song percussively in any manner needed) and to also scale back his playing, shows not only a keen sense of insight but a maturity rare among someone so talented.  Photo By Frank W. Okenfels The title track, a somber country tune that evokes the band's "Far Far Away" from 1996's Being There, "Please Be Patient With Me," "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)," and the album's finale, "On and On and On," are as pure and gentle as Wilco have ever been. While more uptempo or "rockin'" tracks such as "Walken" and "Shake It Off" will no doubt fit snugly in with some of the band's more rabble-rousing material of the past. The single, "What Light," is Dylan-esque, while "Side With The Seeds" and "You Are My Face" contain some of the lyrical obtuseness that fans of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot will find welcoming. "You Are My Face" in particular becomes a stronger song around the two-minute mark when Cline lets it rip and the band all chime in strongly before fading down a minute later, echoing the crest and fall of Television's "Marquee Moon," a Tweedy favorite. But there are two songs that have nudged their way from the pack to make the most impact. "Either Way" is the hand that leads you into Sky Blue Sky, and, while it may be easily dismissed by some, it's simple beauty should not be ignored. The air in the song is serene, the mood subdued, the playing absolute perfection. Cline's guitar work is something akin to poetry, just a few simple bars and your heart soars high, while the inflections of the keyboards add character and distinction. This song, though not the strongest that Sky Blue Sky has to offer, is unequivocably the album's heart. "Hate It Here," a song Tweedy describes as "humorous," doesn't feel that way at all. The song concerns a man finding it increasingly difficult to forget the love that left by diving into the banality of everyday household chores. Tweedy allows his voice here, and throughout the rest of the album, to be freer and more expressive than he has since the Mermaid Avenue albums the band did with Billy Bragg. This can in no doubt be related to the harmony within the band, the harmony within Tweedy's personal life and the harmony within his own head. (Tweedy, who suffered all of his life with chronic migraines, has found that, after freeing himself from a dependence on medication for said migraines and by dealing with personal issues, that he has not been ailed by one in three years...and he quit smoking to boot). The little breakdown in the middle of the song, where everyone gets a chance to shine is of particular enjoyment. There has been much grumbling from fans concerning the new album, something that happens each new release of the band's. Going as far back as Being There, those that preferred the alt-country leanings of Tweedy's former band Uncle Tupelo and the songs on Wilco's debut A.M. were horrified by the band's "new," "harder-edged" sound. Then there were those that fell off with the ornateness of Summerteeth. Next there was the reaction to the dissonance of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Then the dabblings into "Kraut-rock" and the twelve minutes of experimentalism found on the song "Less Than You Think" from A Ghost Is Born divided listeners. Now charges of him going "soft" are being lobbed at Tweedy on message boards. All of Wilco's albums are aspects of Tweedy's personality, and all are among the best that American music has to offer. There have been few artists to both challenge and soothe their listeners in the ways that Tweedy has over Wilco's twelve years and there is no doubt that he will continue to do so for many more.
Jeff Tweedy w/Glenn Kotche - Nashville, TN - Jan 17 '07
Track Listing for Wilco's Sky Blue Sky: 01. Either Way 02. You Are My Face 03. Impossible Germany 04. Sky Blue Sky 05. Side With the Seeds 06. Shake It Off 07. Please Be Patient With Me 08. I Hate It Here 09. Leave Me (Like You Found Me) 10. Walken 11. What Light 12. On and On and On Sky Blue Sky will be available in both a single disc version featuring just the album on CD and a deluxe version featuring the album on CD and a 45-minute film on DVD. The film, Shake It Off, documents the band discussing and performing songs from Sky Blue Sky at The Loft and will feature Tweedy being interviewed in his Chicago home. Shake It Off is directed by Christoph Green and Fugazi's Brendan Canty, who previously worked on Tweedy's solo concert DVD Sunken Treasure and the documentary series Burn To Shine. Wilco Tour Dates: April 16 The Tivoli Brisbane, Austrailia April 18 The Palais Theatre Melbourne, Austrailia April 19 The Palais Theatre Melbourne, Austrailia April 21 Enmore Theatre Sydney, Austrailia April 22 Metropolis Fremantle Perth, Australia May 19 All Tomorrow's Parties Somerset, England May 20 Shepherds Bush Empire London, England May 21 Shepherds Bush Empire London, England May 23 Live Music Hall Cologne, Germany May 24 Kesselhaus Berlin, Germany May 25 Grosse Freiheit 36 Hamburg, Germany May 26 Alter Schlachthof Dresden, Germany May 28 Longhorn Stuttgart, Germany May 29 Le Bataclan Paris, France May 30 De Vooruit Gent, Belgium May 31 Paradiso Amsterdam, Holland June 02 Primavera Sound Barcelona, Spain June 13 Adler Theatre Davenport, IA June 15 Murat Theatre Indianapolis, IN June 17 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN June 19 Chastain Park Amphitheater Atlanta, GA June 20 Ovens Auditorium Charlotte, NC June 22 Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ June 24 The Pines Northampton, MA June 25 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY June 28 Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA June 29 The Green at Shelburne Museum Shelburne, VT June 30 Massey Hall Toronto, ONT July 07 Kongsberg Jazz Festival Kongsberg, Norway July 12-15 Latitude Festival Suffolk, England July 20 Festival Internacional de Benicassim Benicassim, Spain |
