Wilco - Schmilco

Last year, Wilco released their ninth album ‘Star Wars’ as a surprise free download. It came as a shock, especially from a band who had stuck to routine impeccably for their two decades in existence, and with a fanbase that largely wouldn’t have anticipated such a move.

Only a year later, and the band are back with another LP, brilliantly titled ‘Schmilco’. Despite Wilco proving themselves as a forward-thinking band, open to change, Jeff Tweedy starts the album looking back - thinking of times “before I could drive, before I could vote”.

A great deal of ‘Schmilco’ is drenched in nostalgia, with ‘Someone to Lose’ the sound of a band with every ounce of energy still left in them. First single ‘Locator’, which preceded the album’s announcement, is more gritty, and shows Wilco to still have a bit of bite. ‘Shrug and Destroy’ is as meandering as its title may suggest, and threatens to see ‘Schmilco’ tail off. ‘Just Say Goodbye’ closes the album in glorious fashion though, and slimming ‘Schmilco’ down by two songs would’ve provided an even more satisfying listen.

Who can complain about a lack of refinement from a band on their tenth LP and in their 23rd year as an act? With ‘Schmilco’, Wilco are getting funnier, more surprising and more interesting, two decades after forming. It’s a delight.