Feast of Wire
does indeed offer a tantalizing array of sounds new and old from
Calexico
, including more
pop
-oriented takes on their already eclectic style as well as some different sonic twists. Though the album features plenty of the atmospheric interludes of their previous work -- such as the squelchy, piano-based
"Stucco"
and the cello- and pedal-steel-driven
"Whipping the Horse's Eye"
-- the overall feel of
is one of restraint and refinement. The album's longest song, the gorgeous,
film noir
/
spaghetti western
fusion
"Black Heart,"
tops out at just under five minutes, and the vast majority of the tracks barely make it past the three-minute mark -- not enough time for experimentation to turn into self-indulgence. However, it feels like these shorter compositions have more impact:
"Sunken Waltz"
sketches a vignette of Southwestern despair with just acoustic guitar, brushed drums, accordion, and
Joey Burns
' papery vocals.
Burns
' voice plays a larger part on
than on previous
albums, adding a humble charm to sweeping songs like
"Quattro (World Drifts In)."
Despite its seeming limitations,
' small, parched-sounding instrument is surprisingly versatile, lending a
Dylan
-like cast to the aforementioned
"Black Heart"
and a
Dean Wareham
-like drawl to the lilting
Tex-Mex
melody of
"Across the Wire."
' vocals also dominate
's most uniquely accessible moments:
"Stevie Nicks,"
a surprisingly, sunny bit of
folk-rock
, and the quiet,
alt-country-ish
"Woven Birds."
But despite the steps forward
makes on this album, the band still has time for their more traditional, instrumental-based music, exemplified here by
"Dub Latina,"
"Pepita,"
and
"Guero Canelo."
The second half of
in particular sounds more like what you'd expect from a
album, and the group touches on the different facets of that style, including the kitschy-cool
"Attack el Robot! Attack,"
which with its crunchy drums and gurgling synths, does sort of sound like it could be from a Mexican sci-fi movie; the shuffling
Latin
beat, pedal steel, and mod horns on
"Close Behind"
give it a
Morricone
-meets-
mariachi
feel that makes it a quintessential
track; and best of all,
"Crumble"
builds on the smoky, jazzy side of their sound that they began developing in earnest on
The Hot Rail
. In the hands of a lesser band, all the different sounds
explore on
could result in a mish-mash of an album, but fortunately for them and their fans, it's one of their most accomplished and exciting efforts. ~ Heather Phares