CD Review: Wilco, “The Whole Love”

Indie heroes add another gem to impressive catalogue

Posted on Sept. 28, 2011, at 10:15 p.m.

It’s hard to expect a certain anything from a new Wilco album. They’re already gone everywhere and done everything.

Wilco rose from the ashes of alternative-country band Uncle Tupelo, so the twangy influence of their roots has been present throughout the band’s career, especially early on.

As the band became less of an Uncle Tupelo offshoot and developed a unique identity, they experimented more and achieved widespread acclaim with 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”

Since then, Wilco has become a favorite of everyone, from classic rock junkies to hipsters, as they incorporate elements from both worlds into their songwriting.

Coming off the standard-sounding “Wilco (The Album)” of 2009, fans were left to wonder if they would return to the innovation of 2004’s Grammy-winning “A Ghost Is Born” or stay the course and release another album of dad-rock.

Wilco decided to straddle the line, and from that came “The Whole Love,” released on Sept. 27.

The seven-minute opener “Art of Almost” starts with drums and electronic noises that don’t quite reveal where the record is headed. After the 40-second intro, a pulsating keyboard underscores singer Jeff Tweedy’s lofty but calm vocals, the combination sounding very much like “Dark Side of the Moon.”

Again, this doesn’t reveal what sort of sound will have its fingerprint on the album. Still, there is something very classic rock in the song’s structure but something modern indie in the way it is carried out.

About two-thirds in, we get our first glimpse at a crunchy electric guitar, with a sludgy riff accompanied by a simple metronome of a drumbeat. All of this sounds like it is building up to something, and in the final minute of the track, a rapid-fire solo is squeezed out like the guitar was supposed to be there the whole song but forgot and is now making up for lost time.

“Art of Almost” is discouraging for the rest of the album, as it seems nothing in the remaining 50 minutes could match it.

The remaining songs do their best to live up to the hype and produce satisfying results.

The second track and lead single “I Might” features classic Wilco acoustic guitar and a Doors-y keyboard in the verses but plays more mellow than the late Jim Morrison.

Following “I Might,” “Sunloathe” hearkens back to the early alternative-country style of Uncle Tupelo while throwing enough of an indie style to not alienate those who don’t appreciate a good Toby Keith song. Parts of the varied track sound sad, sweet, haunting and optimistic, all coming together to form one good.

Cuts like “Born Alone” and “Standing O” are a nice kick of cheer. Both tracks are as catchy as any pop song but not watered down, still having as much musical merit as anything else in Wilco’s discography.

“The Whole Love” was the first Wilco album to be released on their own label, dBpm, so maybe this is the sound of a band with the freedom to make whatever they want.

The title track is a prime example of Wilco being themselves. The guitar riff that blurs the line between folk rock and alternative country, the modern indie rock embellishments and Tweedy’s agreeable singing create a soothing experience, but they can rock like My Morning Jacket or be weird like Radiohead as well.

“The Whole Love” is already being praised as one of Wilco’s best albums since 1999’s “Summerteeth,” the record that first received critical acclaim and put them on the map.

Considering the amount and quality of Wilco’s past output, that distinction is a real honor.

This new album borrows a lot of elements from “Summerteeth” and the other albums, making for a diverse, yet accessible, record. Old fans will be satisfied and new listeners will become regulars.

Grade: A-

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011, 10:15 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.