Calexico Hot Rail 2000

In more recent years Calexico records have been built on songs mostly, incorporating their southwestern and Spanish influences into a style all their own. Their early work was more experimental, and may be too much noodling around for some listeners. Hot Rail, their fourth LP, is clearly in that early experimental mode, but it also includes plenty to enjoy of their developing style.

The record opens with a bang on the instrumental El Picador. In service to their love of all things Ennio Morricone, it features fine guitar and trumpets, and sounds like a theme from a Spanish movie. Ballad of Cable Hogue folllows, with twangy guitar, shuffle beat, guest female vocals, and a strong melody. The short spacey interlude of Ritual Road Map gives way to the airy Fade. Slowly developing from the whispered vocals of the atmospheric start to the loud drums/guitar/cornet cacophony ending, it deserves the almost eight minutes it fills. Untitled III is a spacey, ambient drum and accordion piece. Sonic Wind has more breathy vocals, vibes and drums that builds to a nice shuffle beat. Muleta ends side one with Spanish melancholy imbued with fine lead guitar courtesy of Nick Luca as well as tasty violin and trumpets.

The drum and bass groove of Mid-Town opens side two, and evolves into a drum roll with spare guitar overlay. Service And Repair has Joey Burns singing a strong melody, and features quest pedal steel guitar. Untiltled II is another spacey interlude, this time with little to redeem it. Drenched features more nice Luca guitar work and too quiet vocals, but you can hear their future work forming. The percussion and noise interlude of 16 Track Scratch follows, and then it is on to Tres Avisos, a solid southwestern melancholy instrumental ala Morricone again, with violin and trumpets bringing the big Spanish vibe. The title track comes last, and it is more spacey guitar and loops.

The best songs feature additional musicians assisting John Convertino and Joey Burns to realize their vision. The four songs with trumpets and violin, as well as Nick Luca's lead guitar are the most developed and interesting. The songs where Convertino and Burns run the show are (mostly) interesting dalliances, but the band will make better records when they write more songs and avoid the experimentation. Later records have Burns developing more confidence in his voice, and both of them developing as songwriters. The pivot of their career, when they became the great band they are today (while still a bit experimental), is 2003's Feast Of Wire. Anything from 2003 and after is worth a recommendation. One thing you can get from any or all Calexico records, including this one, is that John Convertino is a brilliant, world class drummer.