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Rating: 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.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 The Ride, Part II (03:09)
Beneath the neon hub of downtown
The local hotel ghosts blow back around
Descend on those drugstore cowboy nights
Cling to the bar, then disappear from sight
Back to the daily regime
Where the late night graveyard shift dampens your dreams
Bitten by the desire and the spell
That leaves you stranded out
On the other side of town
12 Trigger (02:34)
Walking south along the river
never had he found that twist of pleasure
remembering times when they were younger
setting the town on fire
and watching as his fellow friends
fell apart in the wake
claiming it was all just a mistake
when his finger pulled the trigger
and he shot everyone
it was all just a mistake
when he shot everyone
nothing will stand in the way
when hunger hasn't eaten for days
scrounges around where ends meet
and disappears into the fray
he hopes for awhile he'll reconcile
the pain that never dies
the ghosts of his family constantly
gnawing at his insides
he pulls out a worn photo
and an old handmade gun
wishes it was he who was frying
when he set the whole town on fire
he walks off crying
he shot everyone
14 Stray (02:54)
It rained the whole day he spent at his lover's grave
Said his goodbyes to her family and friends
Packed his things in a rusted car
And rode off in the rain
Came upon a church in ruin
With an old man dwelling within
Who said, "watch where you stray my friend.."
Old man spoke of meanings lost and without name
Never shifting from their worn and weathered place
What was found in the endless search
For truth behind the tale
Beneath the ash and ember lies only one story to tell
"Watch where you stray my friend.."
There's a flower that grows in a cave
So lovely to see but need to be saved
Its' beautiful blossom will wither and die
If ever this flower leave the darkness for daylight.
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