Wilco - Ghost Is Born

Artist - Wilco

Title - Ghost Is Born

Format - 2 180-Gram Vinyl LPs

Label - Rhino Records

A ghost is born represents another giant step in the evolution of Wilco from alternative country pioneers to genre-bashing sonic daredevils. The Chicago band's second Nonesuch release is full of extended guitar reveries and rave-ups, hushed late-night balladry, orchestral pop, and beautifully sculptured noise that more than lives up to the promise of its illustrious predecessor, Wilco's watershed 2002 release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The infectious twang and pop hooks of Wilco's former efforts may be fading fast, but A Ghost Is Born is still a rewarding effort that demands repeated listening. The group's fifth album extends upon the experimentalism of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot with angular, blues-soaked guitar riffs ("At Least That's What You Said," "Hell Is Chrome"), a handful of sparse, yet catchy tunes (smack dab in the middle of the disc) that will surely keep college radio stations smiling, and a lengthy track that descends into mere static ("Less Than You Think"). Frontman Jeff Tweedy's songwriting continues to evolve: "Hummingbird" is a dreamy Randy Newman-styled love song; "The Late Greats" is a sly ode to the world of pop tacked onto the end of the album.