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Album Review: Wilco, “The Whole Love”

For a band that’s been recording together for over 15 years, Wilco’s music continually exceeds expectations. The Whole Love, features bold and brassy new tunes. The album defies expectations and includes tracks that are reminiscent of their early country-pop music to long poetic pieces with beautiful instrumentals.

Jeff Tweedy, Wilco’s primary songwriter and vocalist, has been penning boundary-pushing tunes for nearly 30 years. In this album Tweedy offers a variety: noisy rock jams, arty acoustic and pop. His lyrics are at times introspective, examining large existential questions.

“Art of Almost” opens the new album, and the seven-minute tune immediately sets the bar with unexpected twists and turns, funky beats and richly layered sound. The next track, “I Might,” is a hip and humorous little number, with lyrics like, “It’s alright. You won’t set the kids on fire…oh, but I might.”

“I can only dream of the dreams we’d share if you were so inclined. I would love to be the one to open up your mind. I could base my whole existence upon the cherry strands of your gold hair,” Tweedy sings in “Open Mind,” an alternative take on the traditional love song.

Sweetly sad and meditative in “One Sunday Morning,” brings the album to a close. While the melody moves along lightly, the lyrics speak of strained family relationships and the trials and tribulations of growing old.

The Whole Love was released Sept. 27. Hear the album in its entirety on “First Listen” at http://www.npr.org.