Around this time ten years ago, Wilco was in a battle with their record label over the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Of course in retrospect, the whole ordeal seems comical. As we all know Yankee turned out to be the bands most commercially and critically successful album, all while being the album in which the hardcore fans compare everything else against. But in those ten short years Wilco has become something of a cult classic, and like Kevin Smith’s latest film, the release is completely independent. The long overdue record label is entitled dBpm, and it’s the new home for every future Wilco song. After all, didn’t they more than prove with Yankee that the band knows what’s best for them?

The official first release bearing a dBpm label is a good old fashioned 7 inch vinyl single release. We’ll save the best for last and talk about the B-side first. Unfortunately, “I Might” is the only original song out of the two. The B-side contains a cover of Nick Lowe’s “I Love My Label” and it couldn’t be a more appropriately-titled number. While it’s a nice pop-rock number with some twangy folk-esque guitar and soulful organs, you can only go so far with a cover and the band seems a little stifled if not bored.

Wilco has always been rooted in rock music but with rotating styles of influence throughout the records. As the band started off with an obvious country influence, it progressed more to an experimental style and in the recent years a more classic influence. While Jeff Tweedy and company have never seemed to repeat themselves, I’m excited to say that “I Might” may signal the return to an experimental period. Upon the first few notes I was instantly taken aback by the numerous things that seem almost out of place for the band, and I love it all. The drums kick off the song strongly and don’t quit for a second until the end, really giving a driving force to the song and an extra kick to Tweedy’s vocals. I also have a huge appreciation for the tones used, the bass is fuzzier than Fozzy Bear and the keyboard sounds possessed by the ghost of Jim Morrison. The icing on the cake comes from lead guitarist Nels Cline adding his infamous avant-garde shredding throughout. I still would have loved to hear another original song, but “I Might” will have my attention all the way until September 27th when the full length The Whole Love is released.