Ever since 2002’s landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco have been expertly treading a fine line between experimentation and accessibility. Coming so soon after the envelope-pushing, fuzzed-up glam stylings of last year’s Star Wars, their 10th album is surprisingly straightforward, its 12 songs concise, uncomplicated, largely acoustic affairs. However, listen more carefully to Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics and there’s a bitterness that’s at odds with the gentle instrumentation. Opener Normal American Kids is blunt about feeling socially awkward as a child (“I always hated those normal American kids”) and the grouchiness barely lets up throughout, which makes the carefree young love evoked by We Aren’t the World (Safety Girl) all the more touching.
