Album of the Week: Wilco Star Wars

Is there a point where musicians stop trying new things?

I don't mean switching up the signature of their songs when playing them live, or ad-libbing new lyrics to audience favorites. I mean really trying to come up with a new sound, a new approach to the way they (and by extension their audience) think about their music. Bob Dylan comes to mind right off the bat, as does Miles Davis – both men were ever restless, never comfortable in one lane for too long. These kinds of artists are more the exception than the rule – by and large, after 20 years or so, most rock artists have pretty much set up shop in a particular groove, and even if they're producing new material, it won't sound all that different.

So give it up for Wilco, who in the process of celebrating their 20^th anniversary, have taken a new approach to their alt-country sound and crafted the (probably) closest thing we're likely to see to a punk album with their surprise release, Star Wars.

The first song, the just-over-a-minute "Ekg," makes it clear this is going to be a different album for the band. It's a jangly instrumental, all strummed guitars and wailing lines, sounding at once fuzzy and purposeful. That's pretty much Star Wars all over – it's easily the band's rawest and riffiest release in a decade or longer, and even if all the ideas don't connect, it's refreshing to hear Wilco trying on something new, just to see if it fits. The thing clocks in at a little longer than 30 minutes, and captures the same recorded in a garage vibe that seems to be on the rise in indie circles these days.

Wilco is notorious for going left whenever they are so moved, (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is probably the most famous example, but A Ghost is Born is closer to our purposes here) but going this far left may be a surprise for some. Songs like "More…" finds the band at its grungiest, and "Random Name Generator" channels T. Rex with its fuzzy riffs. For fans of albums like Sky Blue Sky or Being There, some of this may be a little too scuzzy.

Wilco can still hit that sweet alt-country spot when the fancy it. Check out "Taste the Ceiling," which could easily have been a B-side from Sky Blue, or "King of You," which has the best hook of the album. Even amidst all the reverb, they can still bring the pretty, as they ably display in "You Satellite."

Star Wars definitely rewards repeat listens, and sifting through the noise leads to some fantastic finds and ideas. Take "Pickled Ginger" and "Where Do I Begin," songs that are practically mirror images of each other, except for the guitars – swampy electric on the former and simple acoustic on the latter – and you can hear the band contrasting approaches, like they're pulling off the same trick twice to see which way it works better.

While the album isn't likely to become anyone's favorite Wilco album (it probably won't even crack my top five), the sense of exploration and experimentation makes it a worthy addition to their catalogue. What better way to celebrate 20 years of music by showing there are so many directions still to go?

Star Wars is available for free on Wilco's website.

Also recommended this week:

Ducktail's lovely dream pop gem, St. Catherine.

Ashley Monroe's understated country album, The Blade.