Calexico quickly followed their excellent
Feast of Wire album with the
Convict Pool EP, a collection of covers and original songs that all bear the stamp of the band's dramatic Southwestern sound. The EP kicks off with their version of the
Love classic
"Alone Again Or," which, along with the title track, was also released as a single in Europe in 2003. Recruiting Swedish singer
Nicolai Dunger,
Calexico build on the
mariachi theme of the original and also give their rendition a more subdued feel. It may not have the heartbreaking drama of
Love's rendition, but this version is more than just an experiment and works well on its own terms. The EP's title track, meanwhile, is in keeping with the softer, more
singer/songwriter-oriented side of their music, which they explored on
Feast of Wire with great success.
Joey Burns' pleading vocals and
John Convertino's wonderfully expressive -- but not flashy -- drumming come to the fore on this track as well as their cover of
Francoiz Breut's
"Si Tu Desais." The second half of
Convict Pool lightens up with the rowdy cover of
the Minutemen's
"Corona," a staple of
Calexico's live set, the Eastern European-inspired
"Praskovia," and
"Sirena," a theatrical original with Spanish backing vocals done by some lovely senoritas. These tracks have more of a "throwaway" feel than the first half of
Convict Pool, but it's still a joy to hear
Calexico in a looser and more playful mood. That playful mood extends to the EP's multimedia content, an animated short from
The Cartoon Network called
El Kabong Rides Again that features
The Black Light's
"Minas del Cobre" as its
soundtrack. While this isn't quite as essential a
Calexico release as
Feast of Wire,
Convict Pool is a lot of fun and one of the best short-format works they've issued yet. ~ Heather Phares
