Tweedy – Sukierae

’Twas jhubner73, a truly fine gentleman and blogger who enthused about this record, and when I expressed interest, he sent me pell-mell towards my own copy. I got it, then left it for sooner… which became later… and now, because it took so damn long, it’s a part of the IOU Series. I am remiss.

I should preface this by saying I have a pretty large pre-existing bias towards the work of Jeff Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Golden Smog, Loose Fur and solo, I am right there listening whenever I come across his work in the shoppes… so I was built to love this 2CD set, recorded with Jeff’s son, Spencer, on drums. 

Named for Jeff’s wife, this album has 20 new songs spread over 70 minutes.* And what does it sound like? The best of everything you know about Tweedy’s work already: that fearless creativity, that laidback brilliance, songs that shift and amble and grow.

There’s a clarity to it, an understanding that you have been brought into his world, not that you’ve brought his album into your world. There’s an openess to the whole thing, an easy flow to the thoughtful and introspective moments.

Every twist and turn in songs so good you wish you’d written them yourself, every added instrument in the mix that just brings an extra something to the songs, every moment that makes you just say “wow!” in awe…

Damn.

In Sum:

This is phenomenal. Through the good headphones, through the stereo in the Man Cave, in the car… this album is a tour de force, a shining light as beacon for those seeking what you know you’re missing but you can’t quite articulate what it is… Let me pay it forward, and send you pell-mell towards your own copy of this… go go go!

 

 

* Why this is a 2CD, then, I have no idea. It could all fit on one disc… Oh wait, he told us why: “”I’ve just made a double album, Sukierae, which has two distinct discs. I understand in this day and age there might not be many people who will listen to it that way, but it doesn’t matter – because I want to listen that way. I’m not a curmudgeon, a luddite or anti-modern technology doomsayer. I just want to listen to the album and have a feeling that one part ,has ended, and now I can take a little breather before I listen to the second part. Or I can listen to the second part another time. It’s a double record on vinyl, so there are three breaks like that. I wanted it to have different identities artistically and the album format allows me to do that.”” Alrighty, then!