If there were ever a panacea for snowed-in delirium (besides tequila itself) it may just be a few spins of a Calexico cd.

During my recent bought of cabin fever (courtesy of this most recent east coast storm), I was lucky enough to have in my frost bitten hands a copy of the Tucson band's newest, Feast of Wire. Trapped with neither TV nor computer, I was left with only my hifi and my guitars for entertainment. Not to be daunted I slid this tasty bit into my cd player, cranked up the volume and was instantly transported (with the aid of some soul warming Rioja) to the land of Saguaro cacti and airplane graveyards. Surrounded by two feet of snow, I started envisioning a different sort of "desert" oasis. Damned if I didn't start tasting mole poblano and margaritas.

This, their newest release, is a tad jazzier than Hot Rail and Even My Sure Things Fall Through. Calexico often echoes the haunting backdrop of a desert crime yet to happen. Even more often, the music emulates a soundtrack to a grainy black and white western flick, transporting you to a saloon stool, whisky in hand and horse tied out front.

This studio album features, in addition to Joey Burns on guitar, vox, and countless other instruments and John Covertino on percussion; the live line up of uber-talented Germans' Martin Wenk on Trumpet and Accordion and Volker Zander on the doghouse (bass). Also appearing is Paul Niehouse of Lambchop on Pedal Steel and Jacob Valenzuela on Trumpet.

The cd opens with a picturesque waltz, appropriately named Sunken Waltz. Joey romances the westward expansion movement as seen through the eyes of a traveling farmer "I tossed a Susan B over my shoulder and prayed to submerge the whole western states"

The second track, Quattro (World Drifts In) is rich with Native American flavor, haunting drums and the call and response of trumpets in the background. The song called to my mind a movie score of a rain dance, both ominous and hopeful.

This cd is remarkably short on Calexico's trademark short instrumental clips, only the twenty second Stucco is included on this release, though there are a few longer yet stunning instrumental pieces such as Close Behind and Whipping the Horses Eyes. Feast of Wire does include several outstanding tracks. The spirited mariachi number, Across the Wire calls to mind songs like Crystal Frontier and The Ballad of Cable Hogue (which I consider some of the bands finest). The song opens with the playful lyrics "Alberto hits his brother on the back of the head, looks to the north as he starts to get up. Brother still sleepy grumbles, its not, not yet, if you want a new life what's a few minutes wait". So many of Calexico's songs put you inside the life of a person seeking the southwest as a means to a new life, be it a Mexican immigrant, a cowboy, or even a criminal escaping the law. Dub Latina, a song infused with Latin jazz got my hips swinging a samba. There is a bit of silliness included with tracks such as Attack El Robot Attack (full of electronic sampling) and the serious yet silly titled, Not Even Stevie Nicks.