Schmilco

― 心に沁(シ)ュミルコ ― グラミー賞にも輝いたUSインディー・ロックの代表格、ウィルコの通算10作目となる、美しいオリジナル・アルバム。

Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] deceptively pastoral Wilco record, their most folk-rockingly introspective since 2007's SKY BLUE SKY....Tweedy's mood is less self-conscious and more easygoing on SCHMILCO." Pitchfork - "It's a largely acoustic affair laden with sweet melodies, autumnal production, and childhood memories that stop just short of nostalgic. The songs on SCHMILCO are wistful and quaint, zooming in on bittersweet moments with a novelistic eye for detail." Paste - "SCHMILCO is an acoustic record but not a slow one -- thank God -- which proves the right vehicle for the band's loosest, most unadorned set of songs since its debut....There's a ramshackle charm to these songs..." Uncut - "[C]onsidered and introspective....Striking for the challenges Jeff Tweedy and his partners have set for themselves as they engage in a tug of war between order and chaos, acceptance and despair." Magnet - "This time, the band gets extra minimalist with 12 songs largely built off of Jeff Tweedy's folky acoustic guitar and Glenn Kotche's patiently intricate drum work. You'll be amazed how gently the six-person band can play these whispery tunes, with each member still putting his stamp on the proceedings." Mojo - Ranked #36 in Mojo's 'The 50 Best Albums Of 2016' -- "Misanthropy at its most silken and soothing."

On July 14, 2016, almost a year to the day after the surprise release of their 2015 album Star Wars, Wilco posted a new track online, "Locator," with another song following a few days later, "If I Ever Was a Child." It was soon revealed that the two tracks were a preview of a new album slated for release on September 9. Wilco's twelfth album, Schmilco finds the celebrated indie rock band in a contemplative mood, scaling back the electric guitar attack of Star Wars for a more acoustic-oriented approach, with Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy describing the songs as "joyously negative." Tweedy elaborated, "It's sad in a lot of ways but not in any that reach a conclusion of doom or hopelessness...I just had a lot of fun being sour about the things that upset me." The package included a distinctively dark-humored illustration from Spanish cartoonist Joan Cornella. ~ Mark Deming|

前衛性を打ち出した前作より1年、彼らにしては短いスパンで届けられたこの新作は、序盤から比較的オーセンティックなフォーク/カントリー、ロックンロール風の演奏が飛び出します。でも主旋律は(イイ意味で)歯切れの悪いヘンなコード進行のものばかりで、簡素なバッキングが歌パートのストレンジさを浮き彫りにする格好に。アートワーク然り、第一印象はフレンドリーなのに、よくよく確認すると謎の多い一枚。
bounce (C)山西絵美