Sky Blue Sky by Wilco
A Gorgeous Document About Marital Seperation.
After their wild experimental streak of the past decad e, Wilcos sixth studio
album might feel like a bit of a comedown. Sky Blue Sky is mellow, moody,
and uncharacteristically monotone, opening with a pleasant jangle and Jeff
Tweedy singing a simple song: Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds
will blow away. He doesnt even follow it up with a barbed punchline. Could
it be that the restless Chicago band has settled back into its gentle
Americana roots--or does this sudden mid-career reappraisal represent
Wilcos gutsiest move yet? Mostly written in the studio by the full band, its
certainly the groups most cohesive album in ages, presenting a dense
song cycle padded with intricate guitar work, brushed rhythms, and 70s
soft-rock accents. In places it sounds like Wings (Hate It Here), in others
Harry Nilsson (Walken), and in the middle it goes a bit Grateful Dead
(Shake It Off). At the same time, theres a distinct sense of hearing a band
finally at ease in its own skin. Sky Blue Sky represents the sound of Wilco
finally pulling through its petulant adolescence. --Aidin Vaziri
Wilco
Sky Blue Sky
2007; Nonesuch Records
My Rating: 10/10
Have you ever bought a record that you listen to once, scratch your head,
but back on the shelf for a year, pull out again, and listen to non-stop for
the next year? When I first bought SKY BLUE SKY upon its release in
2007, I was immediately disappointed. Sure, A GHOST IS BORN wasnt
great, but there was enough to like about it and I could respect a dip in
inspiration following on the heels of the glorious YANKEE HOTEL
FOXTROT. But by the time SKY BLUE SKY rolled out in 2007, I was ready
for WILCO to find their footing and deliver another left-field masterpiece.
Instead I discovered what I thought at the time was a band on cruise
control.
The thing is, you wont find anything strikingly revolutionary on SKY BLUE
SKY, but that may in fact be the most wonderful thing about this record. It
took me selling my copy of this record and then re-buying it to discover that
SKY BLUE SKY is in my Wilco Top 3, and when all is said and done, may
be right on top. SKY BLUE SKY is the sound of a band arriving. The lineup
TW EEDY employs on this record came together shortly after the release of
A GHOST IS BORN, and has been with him since. W ith SKY BLUE SKY,
Tweedy makes the boldest statement of his career: My songs and this
band are so strong that I dont need anything to make a great record but a
few microphones and a room big enough for the six of us.
From the opening, there is something sweet and pastoral about this
record. The interplay between Tweedys songs and the rest of the band is
effortless. Opening with the softly swaying Either Way, the band quickly
finds the zone with You Are My Face and never lets up. Impossible
Germany is one of the albums highlights, featuring the best three-guitar
interplay of any Wilco record and some of the best Ive ever heard
anywhere. The title track keeps things soft and dreamlike, while Side with
the Seeds is another album highlight. Thought I hesitate to say it, Shake It
Off might be the albums low point, although even it feels integral to the
records progression.
The albums second half features another handful of soft, dreamy tunes in
Please Be Patient With Me, Leave Me, and closer On and On and On.
What Light is as sunny and optimistic a song as youre likely to hear from
Tweedy, while Walken and Hate It Here lend a little more drama to the
albums second half.
All in all, its understandable why many people walked from SKY BLUE
SKY after its initial release, but in my view there is no other record so
deserving of a second chance. I love this record, and given enough time,
so will you.
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