On 2006's Garden Ruin, Calexico wasn't above
trying out an accessible alt-country formula: It was still the only notable
indie-mariachi band out there, but that didn't mean that poppy numbers couldn't
work. The conventional wisdom on that record unfairly painted the band as
trying too hard for accessibility, which is perhaps why Carried To Dust makes little effort toward
mainstream appeal. But the middle ground suits Calexico well, and Carried To
Dust
finds strength in eccentricity and simple melodies. Supposedly telling the
story of a writer exploring and being inspired by the Southwest—the band
plays a variety of Southwest styles, so it isn't exactly a challenging
theme—Carried To Dust hits all the sounds and moods Calexico is known
for, painting sweeping scenes of lonely towns and the open expanses around
them. Jazzy bits, slide guitar, country tunes, and mariachi blend in the hazy
distance of the desert horizon, and collaborators such as Iron And Wine's Sam
Beam (on the quietly rolling "House Of Valparaiso") add to the seamless
diversity. But Calexico hasn't lost its flair for the dramatic, and tracks such
as "Two Silver Trees" soar without disrupting the atmosphere. Like much of Carried
To Dust,
it finds the right mix of freedom and focus.