Wilco's new album Ode to Joy now available on Apple Music

Image: Austin Nelson

What you need to know

Wilco has released a new record called Ode to Joy.
The record is the band's first since 2016's Schmilco.
You can listen to Ode to Joy now on Apple Music.

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy has been a busy man. Following the band's 2016 release Schmilco, the prolific singer-songwriter released a pair of fantastic solo albums, and now he's back with the band for Ode to Joy.

In an earlier interview with Spin, Tweedy talked about the new album and how the band "tried harder."

The stakes feel higher. And I think it did a disservice to the last two records that we created the atmosphere of them being really low-stakes. There's a lot more seriousness to those records than was maybe perceived by some people.

Ode to Joy doesn't quite achieve the heights of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it's a nice return for the beloved band. Tweedy said that the new record is about self-invention and shedding an identity that the band has had for the past decade plus.

It's a quieter, more introspective sound that's perfect for winding drives on an empty country road. You can listen to Wilco's Ode to Joy on Apple Music right now.