Single of the Week: Wilco's "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)"

By Rhea Thomas

Announcing an end to their performing hiatus and release of a new album was enough for me to know that I’m probably going to be in tears listening to new material from Wilco. Honestly, I wasn’t wrong. Never have they failed at making me feel like I live in a farmhouse in the American midwest where it rains in the summer and smells like mulled wine in the winter. And all I need is Jeff Tweedy to sing me to sleep.

The initial intro reminded me of learning “From Little Things, Big Things Grow” on guitar back in high school, “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” is reminiscent of Wilco’s modest and patient style; rising and falling with Tweedy’s lyrics. The track was released in July pairing the album announcement, soon followed by second single, “Everybody Hides” on September 17 in lead-up to their album “Ode To Joy”, set to be released early October.

Channelling a sound reminiscent of Jimmy Eat World’s “Hear You Me” and tracks from their 2016 album Schmilco like “Normal American Kids,'' the song opens with a humble acoustic guitar and bass intro, pacing itself almost like a country waltz. Wilco doesn’t disappoint in their typical fusion of indie and country-rock elements, introducing a tapping electric guitar line that sounds like a distant echo behind the lilting drum beat. Tweedy’s voice is cooing a lullaby-like melody: “Right now, right now, love is everywhere”. Remember what I said about crying while listening.

At the forefront of the song, Tweedy seems to provide a microcosmic illustration of what sadness and isolation are, yet the tension is absolved in the macrocosmic assurance that love is ever-present. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that this song plays like an anthem addressing personal and societal duty and obligations at a time when we need it. “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” feels like a nurturing reminder of passion and the role it plays in driving individual actions.

Wilco bottles a monolithic message of assurance and duty into an unpretentious and heart-warming track and really, what a great comeback it is. Though perhaps not the most ambitious or sensational sound, both singles, “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” and “Everyone Hides” undoubtedly preface an album featuring Wilco’s much-beloved reflective and humane sound.