Wilco - Cruel Country

New album in late May

https://pitchfork.com/news/wilco-announce-new-album-cruel-country-share-new-song-falling-apart-right-now-listen/

i'm sure some of this will be worthwhile but there doesn't seem to be much reason to be excited about this. single is forgettable

would have preferred a double album that embraced their eclecticism, rather than committing entirely to a single thing. 'finally embracing country' is fine but unexciting for them. hopefully 'live in studio' means we get some "impossible germany"-level jams or something

21 songs is a lot, jesus. Single is uninspiring.

I'm hoping for at least 10 good tracks. 10/21 may be a low average, but ten quality songs is really good for a vintage country LP.

I actually like the single. The phase on the lap steel is a real authentic touch if country circa 1978-83 is what you're aiming for.

Yeah, I dig it too. I read the press release and was like, “man, I’m not sure this is what I want from Wilco in 2022”, but then I heard the song and thought, “yeah, turns out maybe I do”.

It's a cruel, (cruel) cruel country
Twenty-one songs on a disc
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel) cruel country
Please buy it

^ actual lyrics

as someone who misses when Wilco was a country band i've been waiting 20 years for this, single sounds great and i will almost certainly be buying Being There 2022.

Big Thief inspiring Wilco is a twist

Not just Big Thief. Waxahatchee had a lot of success going in a more Americana direction on her last album and now Angel Olson seems to be gearing up in that direction too. It is A Trend.

Back to basics one might say

Just (checks notes) 16 guys in a room, playing together

The Wilco A-Team

i did chuckle at reading "Cruel Country is almost entirely composed of live takes recorded at the Loft in Chicago" and then the video appears to be mostly footage of them recording parts and overdubs

(personally idgaf how "live" it is but if thats a hook they want to emphasize in the promo maybe show that in the video instead)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY9ZQMdRAY4

oh this one's really nice

I agree, pretty nice.