The genre now known as Americana was once known as alt-country, and Jeff Tweedy’s band, Uncle Tupelo, helped set the template by injecting pop-punk energy into country rock. That band split after four albums, and Tweedy formed Wilco in 1995. His music since then has ranged over broader territory, but with his new album “Cruel Country,” Wilco’s 12th, he puts the country front and center; the “alt” is delivered by the lyrics.
El Somnambulo featured “Falling Apart” latest monthly rundown of his favorite tunes, but its upbeat tempo and wry lyrics might give a wrong impression — most of the tunes of the 21-song LP are slow, even mournful, and a few are surprisingly political.
On the title track, Tweedy sings,
I love my country like a little boy
Red, white, and blue
I love my country, stupid and cruel
Red, white, and blue
On “Hints,” the chorus repeats,
There is no middle when the other side
Would rather kill than compromise
The whole album is posted on YouTube, but be warned — critics of all stripes have proclaimed the nearly 75-minute opus as too long.
