'Sky Blue Sky'
I've appreciated the evolution of Wilco's sound from album to album, mostly because each has (until now) been a significant departure from it's predecessor...constantly challenging your own musical scope as a listener to stay with them wherever they've decided to take you. 'Sky Blue Sky', however, initially hit me as a severely toned down version of their last release. After both 'AM' and 'Being There', I liked the sharp turn into the addition of power pop on Summerteeth...the experimental noise exploration on top of that via 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'...the more organic instrumentalization/production on 'A Ghost is Born'...then, versus any sort of re-invention, we get sort of a continuance instead.
It's not that I don't like it or think that an artist must re-invent their sound w/ every new release, I just don't feel that challenged by it. To note, I wasn't quite in tune w/ 'AGIB' when it came out, but it held my interest enough to want and try and understand it...until it finally clicked seeing the songs live at the 1st shows Jeff Tweedy did w/ the current line-up of the band @ Otto's in Dekalb, IL prior to that album's release. 'SBS'...well, it sounds really, really, REALLY nice but there isn't that much else to dig into. You hear it once and you pretty much catch everything going on.
It's not that I don't like it or think that an artist must re-invent their sound w/ every new release, I just don't feel that challenged by it. To note, I wasn't quite in tune w/ 'AGIB' when it came out, but it held my interest enough to want and try and understand it...until it finally clicked seeing the songs live at the 1st shows Jeff Tweedy did w/ the current line-up of the band @ Otto's in Dekalb, IL prior to that album's release. 'SBS'...well, it sounds really, really, REALLY nice but there isn't that much else to dig into. You hear it once and you pretty much catch everything going on.
However, there are some interesting thematic changes from 'AGIB' to 'SBS' lyrically. Where 'AGIB' could be interpreted as someone struggling w/ a slight identity crisis and definition of one's overall place in life (which he was)...'SBS' seems to be based upon finally finding some level of self-awareness and comfortability w/ who you are/where you're at. For fans (like myself) who really study Tweedy's lyrics, that's where you'll find the progression from the last album to this one. While it's kind of cool and he's still at the top of his game lyrically, it will likely be lost to the casual or first-time listener.
Granted, i'll have to continue to spin it...definitely see some of these tunes come off live...maybe something will unfold. I'd go back to any one of the previous 4 releases to illustrate my love for this band. Right now, i'll just say I enjoy it even though it's the first time since 'AM' I feel like i'm listening to something by Wilco that is really well-done, but not at all that extraordinary.
Granted, i'll have to continue to spin it...definitely see some of these tunes come off live...maybe something will unfold. I'd go back to any one of the previous 4 releases to illustrate my love for this band. Right now, i'll just say I enjoy it even though it's the first time since 'AM' I feel like i'm listening to something by Wilco that is really well-done, but not at all that extraordinary.
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