Calexico - Garden Ruin

Fresh from their successful collaboration with Iron & Wine, Calexico are back with their new album 'Garden Ruin'. It appears that some of Sam Beam's song writing style has rubbed off on Calexico as this effort oozes catchier melodicism than usual, helping to make it by far their most accessible and mass-market friendly album to date. Opening track Cruel wouldn't sound too far out of place on Ashcroft's latest southern-tinted LP, while Lucky Dime could easily have been inked by the pen of Aimee Mann. The Calexico faithful need not relinquish their trust however, as the darker elements are still present, especially on the Tom Waits inspired Nom de Plume. All in all, 'Garden Ruin' is a record to open up new doors for the band, while still satisfying the mainstays of their fanbase. [Dave Reid]