Wilco + Nick Lowe

The famously bummed Wilco sounds downright sunny on The Whole Love, its eighth LP. The album finds the band settling into an almost Beatlesque pop vibe—determinedly melodic yet full of charming quirk. Opening is erstwhile Jesus of Cool Nick Lowe, whose irreverent wit is matched by an encyclopedic grasp of classic pop styles that made him an enduring, even stealthily ubiquitous role model. Here Lowe performs solo, supporting a fine new Yep Roc CD, The Old Magic.