In a blast of creativity, most of the basic tracks were recorded in January, in New Zealand. The majority of the band — Jeff Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and drummer Glenn Kotche — traveled down there in December to play on tracks for an upcoming Neil Finn album that will benefit Oxfam. They got a great vibe from Finn’s studio in Auckland, so they stuck around and nailed the tracks. Producer/engineer/mixer Jim Scott is at the helm. He’s worked with everyone under the sun, and Wilco fans know him as the mixing  engineer on Summerteeth, Sky Blue Sky and Being There. Master guitarist Nels Cline, and keyboard wiz Mikael Jorgensen added tasty overdubs at the Loft.

Finally, let’s just say the record is sick! When we heard Wilco debut the song “One Wing” at Lollapalooza last year, we predicted that the band was consciously moving in a more experimental direction (a la Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), but the songs we heard at the Loft take Wilco in yet another new direction. Great melodies, great lyrics, great playing and great sounds. You’re gonna dig it!

No doubt that many of us will dig it!

And don’t forget that April will bring a video Wilco fix in the name of Ashes of American Flags. The DVD is set for an April 18th release.