CALEXICO - GARDEN RUIN

The twosome of John Convertino (who released a beautiful solo album on the Sommerweg imprint not so long ago) and Joey Burns have made some significant stylistic tweaks since their last effort; most notably the tempo has been pushed up and the outlook is surprisingly less introverted. Gone are the mournful musings of yore, and instead we have upbeat pop tracks that are only one step away from being bona fide radio hits. The sound has gotten bigger, brasher and more suited to a larger audience, gone are the intimate Mariachi folk songs of years gone by. What is lost in intimacy though is gained in power and the duo play their hearts out on 'Garden Ruin'. I have always found Calexico to have a real talent for conjuring up the landscape of their hometown and muse : Tuscon, dry sand, expansive open spaces and hot hot sun. The images they can cram into 3 minutes can affect you more than an hour of celluloid, so it's a pleasure to have them back, even if the scale is that little bit wider.

Tracklisting
1.  Cruel
2.  Yours and Mine
3.  Bisbee Blue
4.  Panic Open String
5.  Letter to Bowie Knife
6.  Roka
7.  Lucky Dime
8.  Smash
9.  Deep Down
10. Nom De Plume
11. All Systems Red