[rating=8.00]
There are no padawans or Death Stars on Wilco’s ninth LP – just loads of snarling art-punk riffs, psychedelic texture, and dashed-off absurdity. Star Wars hit the Internet Thursday night without fanfare, appearing on the band’s website as a free download – a gift to fans, in hopes of sparking what frontman Jeff Tweedy calls “a jolt of joy.” Mission accomplished.
That offhand vibe extends to the music. These are the messiest, most playful tunes in the Wilco catalogue – with a bare-bones, guitar-heavy production style that feels like a galaxy far, far away from the overdubbed headphone majesty of 2011’s The Whole Love. At first blush of jagged instrumental opener “EKG”, it’s easy to feel like Tweedy and company are fucking with us – that maybe Star Wars’ casual release strategy was a cop-out for sub-par material, a way to clear house of goofy B-sides. But that snotty aggression coalesces into a statement of purpose as the album winds on, bleeding into the propulsion of centerpieces like “More…” and “Random Name Generator,” both peaking with noisy Nels Cline guitar freak-outs.
Six-strings dominate Star Wars‘ quick-firing 33 minutes, even when the atmospheres turn spacey (the ambling kraut-rock of “You Satellite”) or folky (“The Joke Explained”). “It’s a staring contest in a hall of mirrors,” Tweedy almost-mumbles on the latter track – and that line sums up his jigsaw-puzzle lyrical approach throughout. But moments of emotional clarity radiate deeper into the LP: “Why can’t I say something to make you well?” Tweedy croons on “Where Do I Begin,” a slow-burning ballad seemingly written for his cancer-battling wife, Sue.
Wilco gave us a quirky, meandering gift with Star Wars – they held a surprise party and invited the entire music sphere. But even as critics (myself included) dash to fire off quick takes, it’s important to keep the album in context. (Imagine trying to judge Yankee Hotel Foxtrot coherently after a 24-hour cycle.) Still, what’s most striking about Star Wars is its immediacy – it already feels essential.
2 Responses
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