Calexico, the American company of multi-instrumentalists Joey Burns and John Convertino can be seen as a pioneer of what is nowadays called americana music. Like no other group they know how to musically depict the sweltering American prairie landscapes with style elements from country, film music, jazz and mariachi. Like no other they know how to make this whole sound so melancholic. After the
… somewhat disappointing pop album from 2006 the duo happily regains their old form on Carried To Dust. Wonderfully spooky and sad, the mariachi copper resounds again in a song like InspiraciĆ³n, while imaginary bullets whistle around your ears in the melancholic spaghetti western tune El Gatillo. On Garden Ruin, Burns mainly seemed to fall through the basket as a singer. On Carried To Dust he gratefully shares the microphone with guests such as and Jairo Zavala. Partly because of their contributions, this sixth full-fledged album by Calexico is one of the better ones in their oeuvre. (MR)more