When a member of a well-known band briefly steps out, expectations run high–especially when the band is as daring and driven as Wilco.
“In rock, the word `sideproject’ generally strikes fear in the hearts of decent men,” said Wilco bassist John Stirratt, who with producer Pat Sansone makes up the Autumn Defense. “We have such a good relationship with critics that I was steeling myself for serious backlash.”
Stirratt needn’t have worried. The new Autumn Defense disc, “Circles” (Arena Rock), has garnered Wilco-worthy raves. Recalling Love, the Byrds, Big Star and the Beach Boys, “Circles” is a lovely record–redolent with heady harmonies and mid-tempo acoustic lushness.
“It’s not afraid to be beautiful,” said Linda Ray, contributing editor for No Depression. “No irony, no grit. It seems a tacit agreement to see and express the beautiful side of things.”
That said, Stirratt noted “Circles” was influenced by “sonically dark sounding records, like David Crosby’s `If I Could Only Remember My Name,’ and Terry Reid’s `River’ LP. . . . Some films definitely influenced it as well; `Parallax View,’ for one. I love that dignified paranoia.” How then to explain the shimmering result? “It seems wherever we recorded, it was snowing, which makes it feel pretty insular and cozy.”
Work on “Circles” began two years ago, shoehorned between the schedules of Stirratt and Sansone (an engineer, singer and multi-instrumentalist). The two hooked up in 1998 in New Orleans: “We realized we both had an affinity for the same kind of ’60s pop, mid-period Kinks and Beach Boys stuff, that wasn’t very popular with a lot of musicians [there],” Stirratt said.
Compared to the debut “The Green Hour,” “Circles” got a week of uninterrupted recording time in Nashville for basic tracks. Musical recruits included pedal steel guitarist John Pirruccello and horn player Steve Tyska, a doctor.
Now comes a two-month tour, fresh off exposure at Sundance (the group scored the film “Evergreen”). All this could inspire a follow-up–or envy from Wilco bandmates, perhaps?
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“Everyone in the fold has been really cool about it,” he said. “Feedback has been great: Stuff like, you should turn that vocal down.”
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The Autumn Defense, 9 p.m. Saturday, Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. $12; 312-559-1212.