Reviewed this for the student paper, so i thought id stick it up here...

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

3/5

On Chicago alt-country outfit Wilco’s sixth album proper the biggest surprise is that there are no surprises. For a band famed for experimentation the record plays it unexpectedly safe. Indeed, where previous albums were peppered with moments that not only dragged the listener out of their comfort zone but downright risked alienating them, Sky Blue Sky is a nostalgic recreation of the summery spirit of the early 70’s. The Beatles, and more specifically Paul McCartney, are the most prominent point of reference on the album. Walken could sneak onto Let It Be among Sir Paul’s contributions to that album, and the changes in tempo that punctuate the soulful soft-rock of Hate It Here would not look out of place on Abbey Road. Many of the tracks are piano-led, and the presence of an organ adds to the 70’s soft-rock vibe. Despite its nostalgia Sky Blue Sky is an enjoyable listen. Patient With Me is a tender acoustic gem, and Jeff Tweedy’s vocal simplicity seldom reverts to cliché. Overall the listener gets the feeling that Wilco are a band enjoying themselves, but this comfort can at times seem self-satisfied. What Light, the track which most obviously flaunts the bands country roots, is an uninventive slog and Impossible Germany is forgettable, and rounded off by a turgid, overlong guitar solo. At least half of the songs are infringed upon by such unnecessary guitar interludes; they may serve to fuel comparisons to Neil Young, but such bombastic twiddling generally does what are essentially sweet pop songs no favours. Because that is what Wilco have crafted: an album of simple, straightforward pop-songs and it is hard not to like them. Sky Blue Sky is the perfect soundtrack to the oncoming summer; Wilco aren’t dragging music to a new place, but when it sounds so nice here it doesn’t seem to matter.