When Calexico originally recorded this in 1996 they were calling themselves "Spoke." Recorded when Burns and Convertino’s collaboration was a Giant Sand side project in the truest sense of the word, this 19-song disc finds the group’s core members offering raw, understated songs as they work to find a sound distinct from Howe Gelb. They do not wander long. All the later templates are here: the acoustic border ballad (“Point Vicente,” “Sanchez”), the open-road driving song (“Glimpse”), the European polka-hall exercise (“Mazurra”). We also get some of the group’s most heart-wrenching work (the spare “Stinging Nettle,” the cello-assisted “Removed”), as well as odd outtakes like the Friends of Dean Martinez-tinged surf romp “Scout.”The record can feel casual and slightly off-hand (only four songs break three minutes; three don’t reach 60 seconds) but it’s also amazingly complete. At roughly 44 minutes, Spoke doesn’t waste a moment and few tracks – even interludes – could have been cut from the mix. It’s a record that demonstrates why Calexico deserves the audience it amassed through later successes, and one that still resonates, even as Burns and Convertino continue to evolve.Tracklist: Peel Side Low Expectations 2:36 Mind The Gap 0:52 Mazurra 1:44 Sanchez 3:15 Haul 1:21 Slag 2:26 Paper Route 1:59 Glimpse 2:38 Navy Cut 0:29 Spokes 2:37 Pulp Side Scout 2:09 Point Vicente 3:53 Wash 2:35 Ice Cream Jeep 0:29 Windjammer 2:36 Mazurka 1:17 Removed 3:52 Stinging Nettle 3:41
