Calexico
The Black Light

THE REVIEW

Lost in Imperial County (California), one of the driest habitats in the United States, Calexico is best known for lending its name to the Joey Burns/John Convertino duo. Twinned with Mexicali (Mexico), for obvious "birth" reasons, it is without a doubt the primary source of inspiration for the former rhythm section of Giant Sand.

Expanded and sandy Alternative Country, expertly mixed with a cinematic Tex-Mex, provides the soundtrack to images that are indeed stereotypical, but so persuasive that they make us forget that cacti, coyotes, and flaming sandstone rocks are the equivalent of our pizza-spaghetti-cappuccino...

Not coincidentally, I referred to soundtracks a little while ago; in fact, the "Morricone-inspired" "Gypsy's Curse", the "white light" of this "The Black Light", introduces us to this lysergic fiesta.

The few vocal interventions by Burns, measured and well-calculated, as in the soft title track, do not make one regret the almost total absence of a true guiding line. There are no choruses to hum, but extraordinary atmospheres to enjoy.

Thus, in a rapid succession of concise instrumental pieces, such as the poignant "Where Water Flows", the festive "Sideshow", and the superfluous "Sprawl", masterpiece tracks (or in this context, puma-sized tracks) like "Missing" and "Bloodflow" take center stage.

Both rarefied, humble, and truly marvelous.
The first is delicate and dreamy, in a triumph of steel guitars and piano.
The second delicately unfolds, in a crescendo that gives chills for its intensity.

"Her eyes are closed now that final breath is near
She lets go of my hand and I fall into a sea of tears"

The tense "Chach" and the gypsy funfair waltz of "Old Man Waltz" certainly do not go unnoticed.
The trumpets, marimba, and pedal steel of the culminating and vaguely hallucinogenic "Frontera" are the ideal complement to an album that never truly tires.

Whether used as "musical wallpaper" or given a close listen, this "The Black Light" will not disappoint anyone.
My word.