Wilco “Cousin” Album Review

Cousin

Wilco

• Genre: Alternative
• Date: 29 Sep, 2023
• Content: Not-explicit
• Track(s): 10
• ℗ 2023 dBpm Records, Inc.

American indie Rock band Wilco returned with their thirteenth studio album, “Cousin,” on September 29, 2023. The band did something a bit different with this project, enlisting Cate Le Bon for its project, marking the first time in over a decade that they used an outside producer. They hadn’t done that since 2009’s “Wilco (The Album).”

Tweedy asked Le Bon to produce the album after they met at a live performance. They discussed the album’s sound over the phone and traded digital files before finally hitting the studio. The band states that Le Bon encouraged them against live in-studio recording and instead recorded instruments individually.

“Cousin” garnered positive reviews after it was released, with critics and fans praising the album’s songwriting, production, and direction. AllMusic notes that the album “represents a genuine shift for the band as they’ve ceded some control over their recording process for a change,” resulting in “a powerful, affecting work that once again shows how many great things Wilco can do.”

Cover Art

Japanese floral artist Azuma Makoto is credited for working on the album’s artwork, while Shiinoki Shunsuke handled the photography. Cover Art Matters on Instagram noted that the artwork “features the botanical sculpture ‘Ftozen Flowers’ by Makoto. The artwork is impressive.

Popular Tracks

While the entire album has received praise from fans and critics, the track “Evicted” has gotten more love than the others. Other popular tracks on the album include the opening track, “Infinite Surprise,” the title track, “Cousin,” “Sunlight Ends,” and more.

Tracklist & Features

The first standout thing about “Cousin” is that Cate Le Bon, an outside producer, produced it. It marked the first time in a decade since “Wilco (The Album)” that the band would invite an outside producer to work on their album.

Speaking about the decision to work with Le Bon, vocalist Jeff Tweedy said, “There aren’t a whole lot of white male rock groups that feel vibrant in any way to me. I don’t know what they’re singing about. I don’t know what they’re angry about.”

“I don’t know what they care about other than maintaining and protecting their status, and I don’t want that to be the way Wilco looks at itself. It felt really right to ask a woman to produce a record for us because it was an honest way to surrender some of those assumptions.”

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	TIME
1	Infinite Surprise	5:43
2	Ten Dead	3:55
3	Levee	4:11
4	Evicted	3:29
5	Sunlight Ends	3:53
6	A Bowl and A Pudding	4:03
7	Cousin	4:10
8	Pittsburgh	5:13
9	Soldier Child	4:17
10	Meant To Be	3:55

Summary

There is so much about the new “Cousin” album that deserves praise, from the production to the issues the band addresses. One thing that hasn’t changed about them all these years is how political they are. Tweedy called the album “a pretty sculpted art pop,” telling Aquarium Drunkard that “It’s alien. The songs are alien shapes.” The band made a beautiful project, and they should be proud.

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