Tweedy

Sukierae (dBpm Records)

wilcoworld.netTalk about prolific. Somehow, Sukierae, a collaboration between Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy and his 18-year-old son Spencer, started out as 90 songs. Tweedy and son then whittled down the tunes to a more manageable number that could fit on two discs. Still, the 20 songs here might be overload — some sound like Wilco and others sound like Wilco demos that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Songs such as the herky jerky “Please Don’t Let Me Be So Misunderstood” are repetitive numbers that feel like they aren’t quite finished. Other tunes, such as the mellow “High as Hello,” have a meditative quality and showcase Jeff Tweedy’s soft vocals. Elsewhere, “World Away” has a Beatles-like quality and “I’ll Sing It” is simply infectious. Ultimately, the good outweighs the bad here.

This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2014.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.