Wilco releases reflective new album
Dads and rock fans everywhere can rejoice.
Wilco’s 10th studio album, “Schmilco,” was released Sept. 9.
While the album name suggests the kind of dad humor the band is known for, “Schmilco” is much more acoustic in comparison to the band’s previous albums like the 2015 “Star Wars” or 2002 “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” arguably one of their best albums ever.
It’s as if they have taken a step back and lead singer Jeff Tweedy is rattling off all of the songs and riffs he’s been waiting to take out of the closet.
A lot of the songs in the album have a more folksy tune and sound angry, dark and nostalgic.
Wilco have become known for unique and intricate instrumentals, but Jeff Tweedy takes it a step further with his random and eccentric lyrics.
In a way, the album is a channel for Tweedy to rid himself of all of the angry and bittersweet memories from his past.
“Happiness” is a song that clearly builds upon this theme. Tweedy sings, “It’s absolutely nothing, so sad it’s nothing, happiness depends on who you blame.”
The lyrics refer to his mother and how her perceptions of her son do not match up with his own.
“Cry All Day” is an angrier tune. Tweedy sings, “I’m sick of your affliction, but you’re just as smart as you’re blind, How would you like? Now be kind.”
The instrumentals in this song pick up more than other tracks on the album and Tweedy delivers the lyrics in a matter-of-fact tone.
In a mellower ballad, “Shrug and Destroy,” the listener hears a slow kind of dread as Tweedy sings, “Sometimes I wish to set free the things that still matter to me”.
Tweedy clearly has a lot to get off his chest with this album, but he’s having fun doing it. Overall, “Schmilco” isn’t the most exciting album, but it is definitely one full of raw, unapologetic emotion.