Feast of Wire (Bonus Track Version)

In 1996, Joey Burns and John Convertino formed Calexico as a side project to pursue while they had time off from Giant Sand. Calexico eventually grew into a full-time pursuit, recording and releasing multiple excellent full-length albums and EP's for Quarterstick Records. Originally released in 2003, Feast of Wire is their fourth album, and it is a masterpiece of remarkable beauty and diversity. Each song presents a new and evocative vision for the listener, deftly playing across genre lines with startling virtuosity. From the desert-rock guitar interplay of Quattro (World Drifts In), to the expansive, noir-ish sweep of Black Heart, to full-mariachi grandeur on Guero Canelo, Calexico seems to be a band capable of going any direction, and they possess the skill and confidence to make the turns sound easy. Burns' voice sounds richer and more assured than ever, clearly evidenced on tracks like Not Even Stevie Nicks and Woven Birds, where he shows us a range and control never guessed at before. Convertino's drumming is characteristically sublime, always in the right place at the right time, driving the melodies along with an expert hand, and the album is further fleshed out by Calexico's other band members, including lap-steel guitarist Paul Niehaus, trumpet player Jacob Valenzuela, bassist Volker Zander, and multi-instrumentalist Martin Wenk. Feast of Wire shows a great band firing on all cylinders, from concept to creation to execution.