"I've never been alone, long enough to know, if I ever was a child," writes Jeff Tweedy on the newly released Wilco album "Schmilco." As their 10th official album, it continues to push the boundaries of the band as their Beyonce-style surprise record "Star Wars" did last year (which by the way was originally done by Radiohead in 2007 although the pop singer keeps getting credit for doing so). Schmilco should be considered as a companion to "Star Wars" as both records were cut from the same sessions. However, both stand alone and deserve their own sonic recognition as polar opposites. On the one hand, "Star Wars" was a raucous adventure that reinvented Wilco's image and sound. It exposed their sillier side of self-awareness with an arbitrary painting of a cat as the album cover and with a name like "Star Wars," fans knew they weren't taking themselves too seriously. With that said, within the album's 33 minutes and 47 seconds is a concise and vacuum-sealed album that rattles any prior notion of Wilco's limitations as a rock band. On July 16, 2015 Wilco released the album online using a "take it or leave it" method of a free download. This put the album on the table for anyone and did not force any unnecessary promotions onto the fans.
After a lengthy tour consisting of full-length performances of the album on each set list, Wilco prepared to release their expansion to the "Star Wars" sessions. On July 19, 2016 the band announced the upcoming album with "Locator." On the surface, it sounded very similar to what we heard on "Star Wars" but that would be jumping to conclusions. The song fits into a larger landscape of mellow tracks that all carry a lyrical awareness and darkness. Nostalgia is heavy throughout but wisdom is at the absolute forefront on Schmilco. It's evident when Tweedy writes, "Oh bongs and and jams and carpeted vans, hate everything I don't understand, high times tightening the lid, had to get away from those normal American kids" on the album opener "Normal American Kids."
Sonically, Schmilco is one of Wilco's most intimate records due to its minimal instrumentation and production. But that isn't to say that it is underwhelming. I think if this group of songs would have been treated like the songs of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, for example, it would have outdone the simplicity of these songs. I think Tweedy knows, at 49 now, that over-production is not absolutely necessary to get a song's emotion across an audience. Wilco released West coast tour dates that include a 3-night stay at LA's United Artists Theater at the Ace Hotel after a 5-night run at San Francisco's Fillmore. It goes without saying that most, if not all, of Schmilco will be performed during these shows. Ultimately, the album is an excellent extension to Wilco's discography and keeps the listener interested and unable to predict their next move.
