Wilco • Sky Blue Sky

B+

Okay, now answer truthfully, what’s the last Wilco studio album that you could call a fun album? Still searching, yeah, you have to go pretty far back cuz old Jeff Tweedy ain’t spit out anything consistently upbeat since Summerteeth (kinda) until now.

Maybe still under the influence of their kickass live disc Kickin’ Television, Sky Blue Sky is a 70s-rock style jammer. Skipping their normal spaced-out noise interludes, this disc is a tight amalgam of country-ish ballads and rockers with Tweedy’s always interesting lyrics.

Standout tracks include “Either Way,” “Hate It Here(Without You),” “Impossible Germany,” and “What Light,” but the album is very tight and flows together evenly. This for Wilco is easy listening, but is still heads and tails above most of the other tripe out there.