DiamondClaw

So, one week in and I am really liking this album! I can't remember liking one right off the bat like this in some time. Usually it takes a while for the growers to seep their way in. CLB really got the elaborate, rich soundscapes I've been missing the past few albums. Overall, maybe not quite as adventurous as it was hyped to be, and not as many up-tempo toe-tappers, but Cousin hits the spot for me so far. Favorites at the moment, probably "Levee" and "Sunlight Ends." Can't wait to see how everything holds up over time.

Only 10 tracks total on the album — maybe they're trying to not reveal too much and maximize the wow factor?

Could've been more. I mean, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Golden Smog, Loose Fur, The Minus 5, Tweedy and Jeff Tweedy are all technically separate names, right?? Seriously though, nice list. I remember a few years ago there was some kind of challenge like this to put together a representative six-song list. Talk about hard choices! I remember thinking too hard and coming up with a definitive six tracks. Would have to come up with 14 more for this.

Don't know if these are official, but track lengths are listed here 1. Infinite Surprise 5:43 2. Ten Dead 3:55 3. Levee 4:11 4. Evicted 3:30 5. Sunlight Ends 3:53 6. A Bowl and a Pudding 4:03 7. Cousin 4:11 8. Pittsburgh 5:14 9. Soldier Child 4:17 10. Meant to Be 3:55 Total length: 42:52 I like that they let these songs stretch out a bit more. At 3:30, "Evicted" is the shortest song on the album.

Ha, don't worry, you're not the only one! Nothing more exciting than a new album announcement. I always get hyped for it, but I feel especially excited for this one in a way I haven't since The Whole Love.

I get that. The "art pop" moniker brings some big league expectations. I wouldn't describe the song as jarring or anything. But it seems like a good single, with a catchy chorus, clean vocals and strong melody. Who knows, it could end up being an outlier from the album. The weirder/noisier tracks might be album cuts. It was only a first impression, but I liked the song.

I caught the new song on XRT and thought it was very good! It was in the "breezy pop" Wilco style, with a distinctly Tweedy melody. Maybe in the vein of "Taste the Ceiling" or the less-twangy songs from Cruel Country like "Tired of Taking it Out on You" or "Hearts Hard to Find," but with a touch more production.

Any other Chicago peeps going to Lucius and Dawes at Canal Shores tonight?

I guess that National Cousins Day idea is as good as any... only because Google tells me both National Vanilla Pudding Day and National Chocolate Pudding Day already passed. (May 22 and June 26, evidently!)

I wonder if we'll get the official announcement this week. With Jeff's solo tour kicking off, it cold be a nice time for a news drop. 🤞🏼

Hmm, "Tour to Infinity" and the presale code is SURPRISE. References to the first track of the forthcoming album?

The one-year anniversary of Cruel Country (digital version anyway) is this weekend I think. Maybe that gets its last moment in the spotlight and then the news comes in the next week or two? I'd think an announcement would at the very least come before Jeff's solo tour next month.

I would say "hey chicken, you're all talk," but this seems legit! Love it.

Speak up, my friend!

Here's hoping for sooner rather than later! While it seems like the Cruel Country cycle has pretty much run its course now, I would understand if they want to take a beat. But, on the other hand... why wait??

Really looking forward to this. Not that I didn't like Cruel Country — I did, for the most part — but my level of anticipation for this one feels higher. Anyone think they might get it out by this fall?

Thanks as always for the recaps @bböp. They're always a pleasure to read. Are you surprised that "A Lifetime to Find" seems to have fallen out of the set entirely?

Yeah, I bet that was a treat. I remember they played it acoustic once or twice at the end of shows back almost 10 years ago. I wonder how this version sounded.

Love seeing Mystery Binds in there again. I was bummed I missed that one at the last Riv show, as it's one of my favorites off the new album and it seems destined to be a rarity. While almost every other song from these runs have popped up on YouTube in some form, there is still stubbornly no live footage of Mystery Binds out there!

I was at the show last night. Just wait for @bböp’s recap write up. I’m sure it will be filled with some goodies (and one specific fan accomplishment in particular 😄). Anyway, in the meantime, suffice to say the show was extraordinary. Recency bias or no, I’d say it was the best hometown show I’ve personally seen since the 2014 residency. A large part of that, I suspect, is being back at the Riv, which is basically their home field advantage. It just feels like they can really cut loose there. The lack of structure to the set list is a factor as well. As the show was

The first song is great. I played it once this morning and it's been stuck in my head all day.

Hi all, somehow I didn't end up getting tickets for the second night of the upcoming stand in Chicago, and now the show is sold out. I'm interested in two tickets, anywhere from GA to mezzanine to first balcony would be great. Let me know if you have any you'd like to offload. Thanks!

Wow, I love everything about this clip. Nels just rips it up.

I think/hope they'll give him a shout out at the Riv. Lin was a pretty big champion of the band. XRT played a live version of "Impossible Germany" as part of the tribute yesterday.

What a great tribute yesterday. 4+ hours without a single commercial. Hard not to get choked up a time or two between the stories and the Lin's Bins, and some great music. I'm really going to miss him. It'll be strange for Wilco to take the stage at the Riv in March without Lin in the building.