Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
Official release date: June 30
The Verdict: As we correctly guessed from the title, track names like “Sunny Feeling,†and the cover featuring a fez-wearing camel at a roof party, Wilco (The Album) is lighter, more fun, and less serious-feeling than the band’s other recent ones — just a bunch of pretty songs, unmarked by krautrock, guitar freak-outs, or Morse code interludes. Even the one we think is about the apocalypse (“Country Disappearedâ€) is summery! This will probably only further Wilco’s reputation as a bunch of dad-rocking Steely Dan fans, but they sound like they’re cool with that. Also, it would be tough for anything to beat “Wilco (The Song)†as our favorite track, but “I’ll Fight†and “You Never Know†come pretty close.