Calexico’s newest CD, "The Book and the Canal," marks a change in their sound. Their overt southwestern style has been subdued by more jazz and rock elements.
While several of the tracks still have the old familiar Calexico sound, it’s obvious that the band is experimenting with new recording and songwriting techniques.
Their former releases which used to be characterized by their very clean and almost live sound, now includes more distortion, reverb and vocal delays.
In a 2003 interview with Paste magazine, singer Joey Burns is quoted as saying "Calexico is a kind of international clubhouse of instruments and backgrounds. We just mix it up and stick it in a blender and push ‘Chop’."
This is a fine way of explaining Calexico’s instrumentation as they have used everything from pedal steel and organ to vibes and accordion in their songs.
Their new line up now includes piano, it hasn’t in the past, and their signature brass section has been limited to a single appearance on the final track," One Last Panoramic."
Several of the songs, such as "Unter Unserem Himmel" and "Electric Relay" sound more like The Mars Volta than Calexico with lengthy instrumental breakdowns and the occasional noise-based soundscape. While some of these works create an accessible ambiance, some are confusing and tempt the listener to skip the track upon first hearing.
However, tracks 9 and 11, "Ghostwriter" and "Heavy" with the Bass are sure to become instant favorites.
"Ghostwriter" is the story of a death scene in a film. Burns convinces the listener that he is painfully mourning a dear friend when he sings "the blood which spilled to the floor like a dead man’s/ focus is blurred and a voice off camera is heard/ the lighting’s to blame/ tell the assistant director the same."
"Heavy" with the Bass, which un-surprisingly is very bass heavy and rhythmic, features the piano at its very best than anywhere on the CD.
This song, also about death, is where all the new instrumental elements come together and give the listener faith that Calexico has still got it even if they are now a somewhat different package.
"The Book and the Canal" contains a whopping 17 tracks, but the running time is under an hour which prevents the listener from being bogged down by its length.
Compared to their seamless 2003 release, "Feast of Wire," this record feels more like a collection of songs than a unified statement.
The album proves that Calexico has grown and evolved as a band, and it bodes well for their future artistic efforts.