SPOKE

Great album, very sonically pleasing. This one is long; 19 tracks. Many of those being instrumental, the final track is absolutely stunning. This is truly not the band to look to for top 40 style pop, but for rich, textured tracks and beautiful sounds it's hard to beat. So well balanced; the entire sound spectrum is laid open for your listening enjoyment.

I had the good fortune of seeing Calexico live recently, and they put on quite a good show. I've been a casual fan for a while but bought this CD after the Iron & Wine collaboration, which is really good.Here, they've put together a lot of found sounds, different ideas, and a hodgepodge of what they're into. The root is a southwest sound, but they really manage to go all over the board.After listening to it a few times, it gives you the sense of a band in search of something, maybe its own sound, but they don't quite get there on this album.These guys are experienced and great songwriters, and put on a great live show, but I'm waiting for thier masterpiece, which is going to come one of these days.

Calexico's early work has some of the same meoldies they elaborated on later, recorded either at home or in a makeshift studio actually adds to the flavor of this album nd makes it a must have for Calexico fans. lot of drums & guitar duets, very cool.

This disc holds experimental riffs and ditties all of which are recognizable as Calexico but that would not fit into any other format. It is a great look into their creative process, great for background not for sit and listen though some things will pull you out of your concentration for their unusual construction :-)

This is not the lush cinematic Calexico of the other albums, This is much more folksier and gritty, and for that it stands alone in its sound. The framework is there for what would come later but there is no pedal steel or horns. All in all it is great, and Id also suggest Commited soundtrack or the Road Map cd from the bands website for a similar sound.

I've got this on vinyl now- Beautiful stuff. Possibly my favorite Calexico album.

I have to agree with all of these reviewers, save for the one who didn't like this release. This is a beautiful concoction of thoughtful-western-meets-tearful-traditional-Mexican beauties, worth listening to repeatedly. It doesn't jump out at you, but lures you in gently like a curious whisper. Everyone I played this CD for loved it and promptly went out to buy it. I suggest you do the same.

Finding their form is evident here in their most under rated album. Less polished than any of their others. Worth a listen if you don't believe me..