Wilco - Schmilco
Wilco
Schmilco
2016
Schmilco is the 10th studio album from Wilco and was recorded at the same time as last years surprise release Star Wars. The music is largely acoustic and low stakes, more of a chance to strum and reminice rather than make some kind of statement. The music is easy and constantly moving like on If I ever Was a Child" as the rat a tat on the snare pushes you ever forward. A great deal of the record seems to deal with where we've been rather than where we are going to go. There are times when the record borders on nostalgia, but it never really makes that leap. Songs like "Common Sense" also keep the album off kilter enough to keep it interesting. The song is erratic yet maintains this almost jazz level groove that never lets it get all that experimental or off putting. That really is a hallmark of Wilco's sound that they are able to delve into the weirdness without sacrificing the song. However if you are looking for excitement or something to rock you out of your seat than Schmilco will greatly disappoint you. The entire album feels more like a little ditty than anything else and even when it gets relatively deep on a song like "Locator" it still has that same quality.
Wilco for a certain demographic remain one of the best bands, and the ease with which they seem to put out varied and interesting albums is quite incredible. This record feels very different from Star Wars but the spirit of the band remains intact. The down tempo vibe is not something new for Wilco but on this record they fully embrace rather than try to pepper it in. They understand their place in the world much better on this record than they ever have before, and it really shows. The album is quite short at only 36 minutes, but that concise nature comes from Wilco knowing just when we have had enough of a song and they readily cut it off. Though it may not be the album that blows the world out of the water Schmilco is filled with little great moments, and is a really pleasant experience from start to finish. Sometimes that is exactly what we need.
7.1 out of 10
Comments
Post a Comment