Chicago folk-rock luminaries Wilco have a new full-length on the way called Ode To Joy, the proper studio follow-up to 2016’s Schmilco. The record, in general, is about encouraging “the act of finding joy in a dark political climate,” according to the band. Today, in addition to announcing the album, Wilco are dropping Ode To Joy’s lead single.

“Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” is a warm, breezy, mostly optimistic tune. Frontman Jeff Tweedy sings over guitar about the beauty of nature, but also alludes to our culture’s current anxieties. “Where the sunlight grabs the lake/ It’s frozen in the flames,” he sings. “Beneath the sleeping town/ With the riots raining down.”

Tweedy goes deeper into what the song means in a statement:

There MUST be more love than hate. Right?! I’m not always positive we can be so sure. In any case, I’m starting to feel like being confident in that equation isn’t always the best motivation for me to be my best self – it can kind of let me off the hook a little bit when I think I should be striving to contribute more love outside of my comfortable sphere of family and friends.

So. . . I guess the song is sort of a warning to myself that YES, Love IS EVERYWHERE, but also BEWARE! I can’t let that feeling absolve me of my duty to create more.

The album announcement comes during a period of time when plenty of Wilco-related news has been buzzing. Tweedy released a solo album this year, WARMER, which followed up one from last year, WARM. Last year, Tweedy also published his memoir, Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back). If that all wasn’t enough, Wilco just performed their first live shows in two years at their Solid Sound festival and announced a destination festival at a Mexican resort.

Listen to “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” and check out all of Wilco’s tour dates below.

TRACKLIST
01 “Bright Leaves”
02 “Before Us”
03 “One And A Half Stars”
04 “Quiet Amplifier”
05 “Everyone Hides”
06 “White Wooden Cross”
07 “Citizens”
08 “We Were Lucky”
09 “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)”
10 “Hold Me Anyway”
11 “An Empty Corner”

TOUR DATES
09/04 – Trondheim, NO @ Tapperiet &
09/06 – Stavanger, NO @ Stavanger Konserthus Zetlitz &
09/07 – Bergen, NO @ USF Verftet &
09/08 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene &
09/10 – Copenhagen, DK @ Den Gra Hal &
09/12 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom &
09/13 – Cologne, DE @ Carlswerk Victoria &
09/14 – Hamburg, DE @ Elbphilharmonie – SOLD OUT
09/15 – Warsaw, PL @ Progresja &
09/18 – Zürich, CH @ Volkshaus *
09/19 – Milan, IT @ Fabrique *
09/20 – Padova, IT @ Gran Teatro Geox *
09/22 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon *
09/23 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg Grote Zaal *
09/26 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands *
09/27 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall *
09/28 – London, UK @ Eventim Apollo *
10/08 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage (w/ special guest Lord Huron)
10/10 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre
10/11 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre
10/12 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall – SOLD OUT
10/13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel – SOLD OUT
10/15 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
10/16 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre
10/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
10/19 – Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
10/20 – Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry House
10/22 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom – SOLD OUT
10/23 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory
10/25 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
10/26 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater – SOLD OUT
10/27 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater – SOLD OUT
11/04 – Grand Rapids @ 20 Monroe Live
11/05 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Hill Auditorium
11/06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall
11/08 – Charlottesville, VA @ Sprint Pavilion
11/09 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
11/10 – Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
11/12 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Murat Theatre
11/13 – Louisville, KY @ The Louisville Palace
11/14 – St. Louis, MO @ Fabulous Fox Theatre
11/15 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ Paramount Theatre
11/17 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
11/19 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
11/20 – Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theatre
01/18-01/21 – Riviera Maya, MX @ Hard Rock Hotel

&= w/ Spiral Stairs
*= w/ Ohmme

Ode To Joy is out 10/4 via dBpm. Pre-order it here.

CREDIT: Annabel Mehran