Wilco Sky Blue Sky

With the addition of Nels Cline and Pat Sansone it's unsurprising that Sky Blue Sky's texture is riddled with the sounds of chiming six strings. Depending on whether you belong to the Wilco-as-experimental-pioneers school or just enjoy a little 70s-style riffage this could be seen as bad or good. Certainly the dual attack of 'Impossible Germany' owes as much to the Allman Brothers as Television or Sonic Youth. Jeff Tweedy's humble deprecation is still here, but lacks the self-flailing quality that made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot such a thrilling yet often uncomfortable ride. Instead a song like 'Please Be Patient With Me' is the work of a man who's done his time in therapy and has emerged both more realistic and able to dwell more easily within his own skin. There's humour aplenty too, especially in the George Jones-meets-slackerdom romp of 'Hate It Here'.