When Wilco singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy split from his prior band (St. Louis’ own Uncle Tupelo) in early ’94, he embarked on a journey that gradually took his new band’s sound away from Tupelo’s spontaneous alternative country and instead towards a more studio-based, experimental indie-rock sound (like a modern day Traffic or Derek and the Dominos, but with even more drugs). This journey culminated with Wilco’s 2002 modern classic “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” The three albums between “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and this week’s “The Whole Love” carved out a sort of staple Wilco sound from which the band has varied little until now. The best aspect of “The Whole Love,” then, is that it actually attempts to break this generic Wilco mold that has persisted since 2002.

On “The Whole Love,” Wilco’s range sounds wider than it has in years. While the diversity is welcome, “The Whole Love” is focused on mere variations of what was rather than on the evolution of the band’s overall sound, which was the focus of the band’s pre-“Foxtrot” work. As a result, “The Whole Love” doesn’t come off as entirely fresh or exciting. Still, there are some good songs. Opener “Art of Almost” would’ve sounded right at home on “Foxtrot” if it weren’t for its crazed hard-rocking coda, and “I Might” rocks the organ fuzz harder than any band since, well, early Wilco. The 12-minute closer “One Sunday Morning” might seem a little daunting, but the song’s gradual layering is perfectly spaced. It’s impossible to care about its length, since you’ll be focusing on the most gorgeous lyrics the album offers. “The Whole Love” is a good step toward mixing up the more recent Wilco formula that has started to grow a little stale.