I've been listening to Wilco's forthcoming Sky Blue Sky, and Nels Cline, the band's new guitarist, is a revelation. Elegant and forceful, he helps take Jeff Tweedy's songs into uncharted waters. When was the last time such a prominent band, at its peak, added a new member who made such a noticeable impact on its sound? I'm sure there's a precedent, but I'm not coming up with it (and before you answer that Johnny Marr is presently having such an effect on Modest Mouse, recognize two things: (1) I think his impact on MM is considerably more subtle, and (2) I don't think the Mouse is in Wilco's class, no matter what the SoundScan numbers say).
And I'll go on record: Sky Blue Sky is an unspeakably brilliant album, maybe the best thing they've ever done. It comes out on May 15, and you should own it.
"Sky Blue Sky" is just gorgeous (and while I like Wilco very much, I'm usually not rapturous about them--but for this album, I am). But I'm glad you mentioned the guitar work, Michael, because every time I listen to "Impossible Germany," every time, I debate whether I like the vocal or the impossibly beautiful guitar solo better. The guitar solo wins every time.
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