RECORD REVIEW
SKY BLUE SKY = OLD MAN OLD
I have always been an avid Wilco fan ever since my brother introduced me to "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" in late 2002.

Right away I was amazed at Jeff Tweedy's ability to sing with so much pain in his chest, you could actually feel the chunks rising in his throat (you could later see them live on the DVD "I'm Trying To Break Your Heart). It was and still is one of the most beautiful records ever recorded and sent Wilco to the forefront of alternative/country success.

Since then they have released "A Ghost Is Born" in 2004, which was also a "heartbreaking work of staggering genius," and I hoped that a follow-up might be the climax I had been anticipating for the last five years.

Unfortunately, Wilco did not decide to beef up their sound, but rather take a step into normalcy and maybe even obscurity with their latest endeavor "Sky Blue Sky." I must say, right away I was turned off simply by the cover art, since my brother's (Brian Adam Ant) album "Separation Celebration," already used these image in his CD tray (and I had to listen to him bitch about it for a month), but this album is simply.... daft.

Rolling Stone decided to give it four stars, and I read the review for the album and it seems to me that Rob Sheffield really didn't care much for the album either, despite the ultra-positive rating.


"Sky Blue Sky" is ratty and boring. Tweedy's voice never takes off, and neither do his songs. The crescendos at the end of songs are usually predictable, and what used to be great guitar licks and noises are quite abrasive. When Wilco is trying to be clever musically, they sound more technical than trivial.

Tweedy uses more jazz chords, and that's great for my grandfather, but it doesn't do much for me or for this supposed rock band. Granted, I did only give this album two listens, and I did enjoy the first track "Either Way." It's a very sweet song and a great first track, but it doesn't really represent the rest of the album, which is disappointing and deceiving.

All in all I would give this album 3 out of 10.