On Sept. 27, Wilco will release “The Whole Love,” the long-awaited follow-up to 2009’s Top 5 eponymous CD by the alt-rock band.

But on Sept. 26, a few lucky fans will get the opportunity to hear the album in its entirety during a private listening party hosted by multi-Grammy winner Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering in Portland.

And two passes to that party are being given away exclusively by GO.

Wilco has already streamed the album live on its website, continuing a practice that began with the classic “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” in 2002. But the listening party provides the opportunity to hear it on the best sound system money can buy in an intimate setting.

If early buzz is any indication, “The Whole Love” — the first on Wilco’s own label, dBpm — should provide quite the listening experience. The debut single, “I Might,” is a monster rock tune, with a thundering bass line, fuzz-tone guitar and keyboards reminiscent of a mid-’60s garage-band stomp.

It sounds fresh and retro at the same time — which has been par for the course for the musically ambidextrous Wilco since it emerged from the breakup of the influential country-alt band Uncle Tupelo in 1994. Since then, it’s racked up eight critically acclaimed studio CDs, four Top 20 albums and five Grammy nominations (out of which the band won two).

To enter our contest, email your full name, mailing address and phone number to rharmon@pressherald.com. Only one entry per person is allowed; entries without a complete name, address and phone number will be disqualified. Deadline to enter is noon Monday, Sept. 12.

A pair of tickets will be awarded to one entrant via a random drawing. The winner will be announced in this column on Sept. 15.

If you want to double your chances of winning, you can also enter via Bull Moose Music at tinyurl.com/wilcoparty. However, you can only win once.

“The Whole Love” will be available for purchase at all Bull Moose Music locations beginning at midnight Sept. 26. As with most new releases these days, it will be available on multiple formats: A single 12-track CD ($9.97); a 16-track double CD ($13.97); and a double LP with 13 tracks exclusive to vinyl, plus the CD itself ($21.97).

Deputy Managing Editor Rod Harmon may be contacted at 791-6450 or at:

rharmon@pressherald.com