Wilco – Star Wars

Wilco is one of those bands that critics love. They rave about their integrity, musicianship and song craftsmanship. I am not leading with that to argue the opposite and say that they are crap; quite the opposite actually. This is one of those rare occasions where those in the industry do not have their heads stuck up their butts. Jeff Tweedy and the rest of Wilco have been doing this music making thing for twenty odd years and have been consistently good throughout that period. They have made their well-earned reputation by being like a chill bar band who just likes jamming together but are of a quality much higher than that. They write, play and record the type of music they feel like. It can range from rock to alt-country with a little folk thrown in for good measure and it is all heartfelt. They even thumbed their nose at traditionalists and modern day record companies by releasing this album without any fanfare and available for free (download). They just want to make music and have it heard. Not willing to play the games that today’s music industry demands of artists; Wilco just releases music and doesn’t look to have number one hits. They seem satisfied with the way things are. On the wonderfully titled Star Wars they sound like they are having a ton of fun. Within the tracks on the album you will hear a variety of sounds/bands that have influenced Wilco from The Beatles to T.Rex to Sonic Youth and even Lou Reed. It is all put together in one delectable package and will have you listening to it many an evening during the late summer as you sit on the back porch sipping a little scotch.