Taking their name from a small town on the California, Mexico border, Calexico craft music that conjures up vivid images of dusty, desolate, desert life down Tijuana way.
On this their fourth proper studio album, Joey Burns and John Convertino - part-time rhythm section with experimental rockers Giant Sand - present their most accessible work so far. A mixture of country, folk, jazz, mariachi brass, Hispanic flavours, Americana and Morricone spaghetti western soundtracks, 'Feast Of Wire' broods and celebrates in equal measure.
Helped by a bunch of talented musicians - including Lambchop collaborator Paul Niehaus on pedal steel - the duo from Tucson, Arizona take you to a place somewhere between the dreamlike feel of Lynch's 'Lost Highway' and the grainy realism of Soderbergh's 'Traffic'. It's a Widescreen, romantic, eerie world where Tequila flows like water, tumbleweed does what it does best and Tarantino trades wisecracks with scarred drug dealers in a roadside café.
Kicking off with the gentle accordion sway of 'Sunken Waltz', 'Feast Of Wire' is a warm, moving album with an edgy live-feel. There's a touch of Tom Waits in the jittery brassy-tinged jaunt of 'Quattro (World Drifts In)'; the shivering sinister strings and sluggish slithering beats of 'Black Heart' recall Portishead, while the fragile strumming beauty of suicide tale 'Not Even Stevie Nicks... sounds a tad like The Flaming Lips.
Elsewhere, 'The Book And The Canal' is a truly breathtaking instrumental interlude of cello and piano, 'Attack El Robot! Attack!' offers a quirksome nod to the cinematic breakbeats of DJ Shadow and 'Crumble' pays homage to the smooth, cool jazz of Gil Evans and Charles Mingus.
A mighty fine album which neatly sidesteps the tired alt.country tag, 'Feast Of Wire' is an engaging musical road trip that you wish would never end. At least not until you reach the next Little Chef - their all-day breakfasts are marvellous you know!
