Frontman Jeff Tweedy has repeatedly stated that this album was intended to make full use of the current lineup of the band, which has been in flux from the very beginning. This effort is evident right from the beginning, as the album opens with the gritty "Art of Almost," in which guitarist and relatively new addition Nels Cline lets loose in a raucous electric solo in ways that were regrettably not seen on the band's more campy 2009 album, "Wilco (The Album)." With the complex and tight drumming of Glenn Kotche, the song sounds like it could be a rocking cut off "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."
The album then floats into catchier territory with the driving guitar and delicious acoustic bass line of "I Might," the first single off the album. Tweedy particularly shines in this track with a stream of free-flowing, Dylan-esque lines. "Magna Carta's on a Slim Jim, but brother/Some soul with a cold clean toe is a mother," Tweedy sings, which might be the most nonsensical yet fun line he's ever written.
"Sunloathe" takes the record down a few notches, with Tweedy singing about misery and all-encompassing hatred over a subdued minor key tune. The accompanying xylophone and choral-like vocal layering gives the song a disturbing innocence.
The band once again demonstrates its ability to shift with ease from introspective songs to poppy and enjoyable tunes, as "Sunloathe" is followed by "Dawned On Me," a bright and catchy tribute to professions of love. Tweedy whistles and sings, "I can't help it if I fall in/Love with you again I'm calling/Just to let you know it dawned on me." In contrast to "Sunloathe," the xylophone here sounds justifiably upbeat and light.
"Black Moon" brings the album right back to darker themes, as acoustic fingerpicking is layered with an electric slide guitar and strings. It is reminiscent of the band's trademark somber balladry and alt-country roots, which is also evident in the tracks in "Open Mind" and "Rising Red Lung."
The guitar riff of "Born Alone," the second single off the album, is loud, fun and heavy, and only becomes more so as the song goes on. Tweedy reportedly lifted individual words from Emily Dickinson's poetry to write such lyrics as, "Mine eyes have seen the fury/So flattered by fate." The dismal proclamation "I was born to die alone" is delivered in a proud and defiant tone as the main guitar riff builds into a wall of sound. Tweedy has said in interviews that the song ends in a Shepard tone, which is an illusion that tricks the ear into thinking the song is ever-descending, a technique that proves particularly striking in light of the song's allusions to defiant death.
The cheery organ progression of "Capitol City" then jumps in to provide an easy-going contrast to the mournful lyrics of "Born Alone," which stands out due to the samples of carnival noises and church bells that are interspersed throughout the track.
"Standing O" builds on the energy of "Capitol City," floating into proto-punk territory with a driving and heavy electric sound. Tweedy adapts his vocal style to a deeper, more sardonic style, like that of a young Lou Reed.
The album ends with the 12-minute acoustic ballad, a gentle instrumental jam titled "One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)." The song realizes Tweedy's desire to showcase each element of the talented band, and does so in unassuming and subtle ways.
The album as a whole masterfully vascillates between mournful and exuberant tones, and in some cases the alt-rock kings manage to express both thematic threads at the same time. This duality lends the album its variety but also offers several moments of haunting contrast. Nonetheless, the album lacks the unifying force of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." While not as disjointed as "Wilco (The Album)," "The Whole Love" plays like Wilco trying to sound like Wilco in its developmental stages.
"The Whole Love" will be released Sept. 27 and is currently available for free streaming on National Public Radio's website.
