Wilco Blue Sky Blue
Nonsuch Records
So, you put out “A Ghost is Born”, one of the best albums in years and certainly in your career. How do you follow it up? That’s always the question for a band that creates a landmark record. A lesser act might get overwhelmed and try too hard, producing naught but shite; the really great bands either take it as a comforting challenge or don’t care a whit, and just keep doing what they do.
Wilco’s one of the latter, it seems. “Sky Blue Sky” arrives like a comforting pat on the back or even, for lack of a far less cringeworthy phrase, a warm summer breeze. Indeed, the entire record has a real summery vibe, charmingly mellow and even a bit upbeat. It’s not trying too hard--hell, not really even trying, it’s just hanging around and saying, “how do you do?”
That’s not a bad thing at all. After some seriously experimental records over the years ("Being There" and "A Ghost is Born", notably), Blue Sky Blue is a respite of easy, down-home, pleasant alt/country goodness.
A nice mix of up-tempo jaunts and lolling, shuffling tunes are assembled throughout, with some excellent guitar work and tasteful instrumental touches. Musically, the songs are all quite nice. In fact, they’re just lovely. That’s not a complaint, but there’s nothing groundbreaking or mind-bending, just pleasing and in service to the lyric and melody.
From the simple, but beautiful, title track to the Dylanesque “What Light” and sublime and sunny “You Are My Face” (with its bridge section that’s very nearly almost Pink Floyd’s “Fearless”), the record delivers what we all need sometimes: a good, relaxing hour of respite from the weary world.
It’s a beautiful record that ends on a beautiful track, “On and On and On”, one filled with optimism and hope that swims and swirls, ending with, “You and I will stay together, yeah / You and I will try to make it better, yeah”.
It’s not a follow-up to “A Ghost is Born”, and it’s not trying to be. That’s what makes it work so well.
Article written by Bob M on Soundsxp - Mar 16, 2007.