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.

Album of the Week: Alabama Shakes Sound & Color

Vibes, man. If there's one thing the Alabama Shakes sophomore album, Sound & Color, has in spades, it's vibes.

The vibes is the first instrument listeners hear on opener "Sound & Color," as Brittany Howard and company conjure up nighttime sonicscapes and images with minimal instrumentation, making use of strings and almost no guitars to build the scene. It's a thesis statement for the album as a whole, and shows the group isn't ready to fit into any one particular genre. 

Sound & Color's vibe is a bit moody, and a little all over the place – the group ignores the idea of creating a cohesive collection, and instead samples a menagerie of styles: from Stax soul to Zeppelin-rock, Ramones punk and back again, there is little in the way of common denominators throughout, save for Howard's wrecking ball of a voice, which can be as silky or knock-the-walls-down as she wants.

Take the little exaltation Howard makes at the beginning of first single, "Don't Wanna Fight" – I mean, what is that? A shriek? A scream? A squeal? I have no idea what it is, or how she does it, but it's a moment capable of flooring you, and it happens just 38 seconds in to the song.

There's nothing as radio-friendly as their breakout hit "Hold On," and I think it's encouraging the Shakes seemed to have jettisoned any interest in becoming a radio mainstay, and instead are content being discontent with one vibe.

Nodding to early soul and R&B has been a part of the group's sound – and appeal – since their first EP, but this album feels older than anything they've done before. I think it's the focus on, and fluidity of, mood on Sound & Color. There are no wailing guitar solos – rather stretches of experimentation, like the mid-song breakdown on "Dunes," which wouldn't be out of place on a Wilco record. Or check out "Gimme All Your Love," which features some of Howard's most powerful vocals on the album, with a "Since I've Been Loving You" momentum-builder, sans any kind of typical rock or blues solo. When it comes, it's heavy on the reverb, almost like a Black Keys lick, before slamming back into Howard's wail. Again, the song has its own vibe and stays true to that.

I think my favorite Alabama Shakes is torch song Alabama Shakes, and we get a delightful one-two punch of them with "This Feeling" and "Guess Who." At this point, it's entirely possible "This Feeling" is the best song on the album, if for no other reason because it goes down so goddamn sweetly. It's just an acoustic guitar, hand drumming, tinkling keys and Howard's voice doing the rest.

The biggest outlier is "The Greatest," which, if nothing else, shows Howard would make a great singer for a punk band any time she wants. It's a little out of step with the rest of the pieces here, but I can't fault the Shakes too much, because they're experimenting – they're trying to find out what elements of a plethora of genres they can use, and I'm fine with that.

I can't really say I love Sound & Color yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I do before long. It's not an instant classic, one that you immediately hit replay on when the final track ends, but it has the growth appeal. I've found myself listening to it at least once a day, and I'm picking up new things with each new listen. The Alabama Shakes are in a truly interesting position right now – they achieved a tremendous amount of success off their first effort, and now they have to figure out what that means, and where to go next. They're dabbling with sounds and colors on the album, but even the experiments show promise of greater things to come. As Howard (correctly) notes on closer "Over My Head," "here for now/but not for long."

Until then, they (and I) are happy to just keep vibing.

Sound & Color is out on ATO.