New Album and Label for Wilco.
Releasing an album and forming a new record label back-to-back takes skill and patience and Wilco are up to the task.
Having just formed their own label (dBpm Records), Wilco have released a new album titled “The Whole Love”. Launched on September 27th, the album was available for free streaming online very briefly the first week of September. The band has also been on tour to promote the album since the 13th of September, performing in a number of cities including Toronto, Boston, New York and Nashville.
Their new record label is partnering up with indie eclectic label Anti-Records, which will help with distribution and marketing of albums. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy has said, “We really like doing things ourselves, so having our own label feels pretty natural to me.” This marks their departure from Nonesuch Records (they released the past four Wilco albums).
The album itself sounds a lot more edgy than previous Wilco albums and it’s a nice sound for this constantly daring group. On their new single “I Might”, the drums are in overdrive and the bass has a nice fuzz effect that makes the piece feel like a throwback to the 1970’s. Add in some organ and percussive shakers and it amounts to a pretty groovy song, easily likeable and radio-ready. Tweedy’s vocal style hasn’t changed one bit and that only enhances the differences in the band’s backing parts. While their 2009 self- titled release was a bit of a letdown, this album shows us that Wilco has their swagger back.