Quick Review (LP): The Whole Love by Wilco

Wilco
The Whole Love
dBPM; 2011

My Rating: B (66/100)

Best Tracks: "Art of Almost", "I Might", "Black Moon", "Born Alone", "One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)"

Wilco almost makes another great record.

TRACK NOTES

"Art of Almost" (4.5/5)

• Probably their most obtuse cut since A Ghost Is Born, maybe even Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
• Cool song, though unfortunately it’s not quite brilliant. Extra points for really trying though.
• Also, as the opener, it doesn’t quite portend the overall sound of the record, which is really pretty conventional.

"I Might" (4.5/5)

• Very nice poppy cut.
• The organ reminds me of Elvis Costello’s early sound.
• This is their best pure single since "Jesus, etc."

"Sunloathe" (4/5)

• Reminds me of a Summerteeth rarity.
• "Pieholden Suite", that’s what it reminds me of. It has that same vibe.
• Very midwestern sound. The meandering piano work could’ve been sampled from "Dream On" or something.

"Dawned On Me" (3.5/5)

• Hey, remember "You Never Know?"
• OK, for someone who is such a completely off-kilter lyricist, I’m surprised at the fact that a cliché forms the basis for this song.
• Nice performance otherwise.

"Black Moon" (4/5)

• Smooth and mellow.
• This actually sort of reminds me of their debut, but in a good way.
• OK, as the somber tune of the bunch, me likey.

"Born Alone" (4.5/5)

• Almost twee at first.
• And then big ol’ distorted section blares in…
• Brilliant lyrics. And I love the way the riff dissolves in dissonance at the end of each repetition.

"Open Mind" (4/5)

• Hey, (it’s almost) alt-country!!!
• This one’s swell and all. It’s sort of just a song…
• Tweedy can write the pretty melodies, that’s fer sure.

"Capitol City" (3.5/5)

• First we had a little Elvis Costello, now we’ve got a little P. Mac.
• Tweedy said this one goes back to the Being There sessions. That’s a long time to sit on a track.
• Fits right in with "Yellow Submarine", "Octopus’ Garden", etc.

"Standing O" (4/5)

• Now this one REALLY emulates Elvis Costello.

"Rising Red Lung" (4/5)

• Hushed.
• The instrumentation reminds me a bit of Allman Brothers.

"Whole Love" (4/5)

• Just what does this "Whole Love" look like?
• I don’t know, but Jeff really wants to show it to us.

"One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)" (5/5)

• Dear Wilco, More like this please. Love, Your Fans.
• Seriously, this is the kind of thing that makes Wilco great.
• This is their best closer, hands down, and probably in their top 10 cuts.

ALBUM NOTES

• There are some brilliant moments here, and the album sports a great cover, but unfortunately I don’t think Wilco has hit their full potential with The Whole Love.
• That being said, "One Sunday Morning" is absolutely fantastic. Probably one of the best tracks from anyone this year.
• Wilco has, for the last 7 years, been perhaps the best live band anywhere. I wish they would let themselves go a bit on the epic, cosmically scoped rock Americana that they are so capable of. I think this version of the band has a Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in them somewhere, and I don’t think they’ve made it yet. Tweedy may be just a bit too self-satisfied at this point. Perhaps a little divine discontent is in order?
• Still, all in all, The Whole Love will certainly keep me coming back for more Wilco. While it may not be their best yet (it’s definitely a step up from their last LP), it’s a solid record, and one I expect to listen to quite a bit more in the coming months.

ATTRIBUTES
Cohesion (4/5)
Concept (4.5/5)
Consequence (4/5)
Consistency (3.5/5)
Songs (4.1/5)