Album of the Day

After a pair of somewhat experimental albums, Wilco moved a bit closer to its original sound with the musically and emotionally direct SKY BLUE SKY. “I got nervous about the technology on YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT. If you need a certain amp or pedal to make a song what it is, it isn't a song,” noted frontman Jeff Tweedy, and the dozen tracks on the 2007 Nonesuch set have the sturdy appeal of 1960s and 1970s classic rock without ever sounding derivative. A more collaborative writing process pays off on such highlights as “Impossible Germany,” “Walken” and “Hate It Here,” and new additions Nels Cline on guitar and Pat Sansone on keyboards elevate the instrumental work. With a Top 10 debut in Billboard, the Grammy-nominated SKY BLUE SKY showed that the sky remained the limit for Wilco.