Sky Blue Sky - Wine for Your Ears

I've been listening obsessively to Wilco's new album, Sky Blue Sky, since it arrived in the mail yesterday. I got it as a (pre-order) birthday gift from Amberly, along with a t-shirt, which I plan to wear until it stinks, a tote, and a DVD, which I watched last night while the rest of the world slept. Of course, I'd already heard the album in its entirety, since the band released an online stream for fans months ago. Call this the barrel sample. The first night it came out, Amberly & I staged an old-fashioned listening party at our house, turning the lights low and listening - computer plugged into our speakers - laying on the floor.

Monday, giddy with anticipation of its hard release, we plugged the computer in again and listened to it with our first wild salmon steak dinner of the season. The fish was succulent, broiled just to this side of flakiness, with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Am I coining a new word when I say it was epiphanous? It was. (Thanks to Sandy and Jason for sharing their direct-from-fisherman bounty!) We dug out a bottle of Koshino-Omachi "Ancient Rice" daigingo sake we'd bought from True Sake several months ago. Floral - jasmine and a bit of honeysuckle on the nose with a creamy viscosity on the palate, all while managing to be ineffably light - it was a great foil for the fish, providing its own world of pleasures without detracting from the steaks'.The music was the same way. Complete on its own, but filling in the contemplative silence in between bites. 

It struck me today that I love this album for the same reasons I love a great bottle of wine. It has something to say, but it doesn't hit you over the head with it. It fits into a great meal without demanding your attention unduly. While it is simple and honest on first sip/listen, it reveals more if you give it your attention. Repeated sips reward you with layers of meaning and understanding. Finally, it is fresh and vibrant in its youth, but I have a sense that it will age well.

Thank you, ocean, river, fish, fisherman, and friends for the sublime salmon. Thank you world, Wilco, UPS guy, and Amberly for an amazing album.

Links
Sky Blue Sky
(Regretfully, the sake brewery & importer don't have a current web presence)
True Sake

Comments

[Jeff]

DC,

I too pre-ordered the album, but I still have not gotten it :( Thank goodness for the stream...I cannot live without WILCO. Funny, that Shauna and I shared a picece of wild salmon on Sunday...:)

[Jeff Porter]

sucks, yo.

[parchita]

"epiphanous" is already a word.
(nothing new under the sun, m'ijo...)