Schmilco (2016) – Wilco

Wilco hasn’t been a fantastic band since 2002’s amazing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a problem. After 2005’s very mixed A Ghost is Born, they abandoned all artsy tendencies and pretensions and settled for something more subdued and mature. This also means that their ambition came to a halt. It’s definitely not mediocre music, but it's not great or exciting music either. Quiet, folksy music never hurt anyone, but if you’re not already a Wilco fan, you probably won’t be now.

All that said, last year’s Star Wars provided a much-needed spark for Wilco. It was lively and full of semi-distorted guitars, which I now realize I underrated. It wasn’t a comeback album, but it was one to remind us that Wilco is a pretty good alt/indie/country band. One year later, and there’s already another album. I was also informed that these songs were recorded in the same sessions Star Wars was recorded in. Based on that alone, you could already infer that these songs were cuts deemed not good enough, so they were passed on to the album we have right now. Very few bands/artists can release two worthwhile albums back to back, year after year (unless you’re The Beatles, with seven in a row).

Unsurprisingly, these are very slow and uneventful songs. The first two show promise, but after that, nothing great or even remotely interesting happens. They almost verge on generic, with little to no distinction among them other than chord changes, slightly-different rhythms, and lyrics. And honestly, after a while, I didn’t even bother to listen in on whatever Tweedy was mumbling about. Sky Blue Sky, which is just as stripped-back and simple, ran over the same ground here, but highlights are scarce. It’s spread thin as it is, but the lack of choice cuts makes this a pretty uneventful and unnecessary listen. If there’s emotion in the lyrics, it doesn’t transmit to the listener.

It’s one of those albums where you’re kinda unsure whether you’ll even try and go back to find something you like about it. I’m no diehard Wilco fan, but even if you are, there are three worthwhile ones that rise above the merely-average ones. Buy them on iTunes if you must. Aside from the pretty great album artwork, there's not much to praise it on. Again, none of it repels, but it does little to draw you in. Risks must be taken, even they miss. And I’d most certainly rather listen to something that’s a failed experiment rather than something so bland that it’s impossible to care for. It’s what makes A Ghost is Born somewhat intriguing even if half of it falls on its ass. A band at this stage in its career must keep moving to remain great, or relevant even. This one isn’t moving at all, but comfortably sitting stagnant on a curbside waiting for something to happen. B-