/Rock-Pop/American

WILCO
wilco (the album)

Release Date: 29/06/2009

wilco's seventh album, 'wilco (the album)', took shape quickly in january 2009 after the band travelled to auckland, new zealand to participate in an oxfam international benefit project. the band began cutting tracks for the new album, producing it themselves with the help of engineer jim scott. the sextet completed the disc at its chicago studio and performed some of the new material in april at the new orleans jazz and heritage festival; where the times-picayune praised the band's 'thrilling, nuanced set'. 'wilco (the album)' combines the intimacy of its previous studio album, 'sky blue sky' (2007), with the experimentation of 'a ghost is born' (2004) in a set that boasts strong melodies and gorgeous, often unabashedly pop arrangements. as with 'sky blue sky', most of the tracks are concise in shape; 'bull black nova', however, features a dramatically building arrangement and thrilling guitar crescendo, more duel than jam. it's followed by the gentler 'you and i', a duet between tweedy and canadian singer-songwriter feist, the album's first single, and 'you never know', a gloriously anthemic track. the album culminates with 'everlasting everything' a piano-driven ballad with delicate sonic nuances that lyrically celebrates love's endurance.