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June 24, 2009 - It starts off sounding more like a Velvet Underground record, perhaps a version of "I'm Waiting for the Man." There are similar chord progressions and distorted guitars. And though they often wear some of their influences outwardly — there is a Beatles-esque song and a Television song for sure — the new Wilco record is all about a great band playing great original music on an album filled with great songs.

The band's seventh record, with the simply funny title Wilco (The Album) and the hilarious cover art showing a camel with an orange party hat standing beside an orange cake, was recorded at Neil Finn's (Split Enz, Crowded House) studio in New Zealand. Overdubs came later, and those were recorded back in Chicago and mixed in California, with longtime Wilco engineer Jim Scott. The record will be released on Tuesday, June 30.

Wilco (The Album) features a duet with Feist, called "You and I," some remarkable guitar playing by the insane Nels Cline, strong singing by Jeff Tweedy, and all around good performances from the rest of Wilco: John Stirratt on bass; Glenn Kotche, percussion; Mikael Jorgensen, keyboard; and Pat Sansone, a lot of everything.

I was let down by Wilco's last effort, Sky Blue Sky. I never fell in love with the songs, and I like the more textured Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. This record falls somewhere in between for me. It has interesting sounds throughout the record, though not as crazy as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it's also more song-oriented, the way Sky Blue Sky was. But with these new songs, I'm falling for them.

So what do you think?

Write a review below or if you use Twitter, write a 140 character review and put #wilcothealbum at the end of your post so everyone can find it.