Calexico - 'Alone Again Or' (City Slang)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
Way back when, people used to write songs like this. No fuss, no dress code, just utterly heavenly melodies. The tune in question is Love's timeless 'Alone Again Or', given the once-over by Calexico, your new favourite purveyors of all things alt.country (whatever that is).
Although lessening the orchestration and adding a slightly Spanish feel, they don't do the blasphemous thing and alter the song to any great extent. Calexico instead provide one incredibly accomplished, note-perfect cover, thankfully with enough personality stamped across it to make it their own. It's unquestionably gorgeous stuff.
But still, the point of this isn't exactly clear. Wonderful song, admirably done, yet it's more of a reminder of how great a band Love were than a hint at the wonders behind Calexico. However, although there are some pointers towards their own magnificence on the two wistful remixes of 'Woven Birds' present, it's 'Convict Pool' (the only real brand new Calexico song on the EP) which really gives them the chance to shine in their own individual, beautiful, slightly frightening way. It's a daring, but entirely true, thing to say that it's in possession of a melody almost as heartbreaking as the EP's title-track, also borrowing its ability to be warmly stirring and strangely dark concurrently.
This is the sound of a potentially great band covering an already classic one, and a timely reminder that even the best students can still learn from the masters. Calexico have been paying attention.
Artists in this article: Calexico
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