Wilco
Wilco (The Album)

It's with some sadness that Wilco's seventh album has been overshadowed by the death of former member Jay Bennett; what's more, the guitarist was in the process of suing his former bandmates for unpaid royalties when he died last month. Nevertheless, the band's somewhat troubled past has never hampered their writing or playing before - in fact, some of their best material has been wrung from their darkest hours.

'Wilco (The Album)' doesn't have the emotional impact of 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot', but in many ways, it's exactly what Wilco albums usually sound like. Although there are one or two dips into offroad territory (mainly the meandering riff of 'Bull Black Nova'), Jeff Tweedy and co. stick to the gentle country/folk-rock formula.

'Wilco (The Song)' is an early favourite, its slack, loose backing providing a base for zooming riffs and the sort of rugged indie that The Lemonheads or Eels would usually be responsible for. Likewise, 'Deeper Down' tiptoes around '60s folk and late-period Beatles, while the honeyed harmonies of the gently rocking 'You'll Never Know coat the album in a comforting warmth.

Yet for all their admirable musicianship, there's not a whole lot here to engage the casual listener, or convert new fans to the Wilco cause. Even Tweedy's duet with Leslie Feist ('You and I') is sweet, but not mindblowing. In fact, that sums up 'Wilco (The Album)' quite succinctly: sweet, but not mindblowing, it's an often swoonsome album, but it's certainly not their best.

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