By Maria Gonzalez
After being on hiatus for two years, Wilco delivers a sonically fresh sound with their pure alternative folk-rock album, “The Whole Love.”
The album is the first production under the Wilco record label dBpm. The opening song of the album, “Art of Almost,” plays poly-rhythms with odd textures that are accompanied with lyrics that encompass this wide spectrum of sounds.
The first song is a different sound for Wilco, but the rest of the songs can easily fit into their early work.
“Dawned of me,” is one of the catchiest tunes from the album, resembling the heavy guitar sound and velvety vocals of “Hummingbird,” a song from Wilco’s 2004 album “A Ghost is Born.”
The single of this album, “I might,” is a true pop song with its basic lyrics and catchy sound. “Born Alone” is also a song with a feel-good sound, yet strewn with bleak feelings from vocalist Jeff Tweedy.
This album combines Tweedy’s ability to write lyrics that genuinely evoke emotions with tunes that have created the distinct sound Wilco has created over 17 years.
Tweedy sings with an emotional and scratchy, yet soft voice that can be compared to Neil Young. Though this album has a more experimental sound, though it still has the essence of what makes Wilco one of the most prolific alternative rock bands of today.
Another song that makes this album glorious is the closing 12 minute song “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s boyfriend).”
It has pensive lyrics that talk about growing old and fighting against the grain, “Against the weather dawning, over the sea, my father said what I had become, no one should be.”
In an interview novelist Jane Smiley gave to www.mediabristo.com she said, “Apparently my partner was chatting to Jeff Tweedy about some religious thoughts.
“I don’t quite understand the song, but those who’ve heard it seem to really like it, especially the music.
“I do think that it is really funny that someone as square, and old, as myself would end up in the title of a song for an alt-rock group,” said Smiley.
Wilco members are also activists. In 2008 the group asked their fans to register to vote in return for a free download for one of their songs.
Also, they released their fourth album, “Yankee Foxtrot Hotel,” for free in order to stop the illegal downloading of it.
“The Whole Love” is available now.