Mark Knopfler
From the very first lyrics on Mark Knopfler’s fourth and latest solo album, Shangri-La, a sense that this isn’t the usual commercial rock music is evident. “5:15 AM, snow laying all around, a collier cycles home,” sings Knopfler to a bare-bones orchestration.
The song, “5:15 a.m.,” tells the story of the life and murder of a sleazy gambler in 1960s Britain. If it seems esoteric, it’s on purpose—Knopfler’s music is a paean to the art of the story.
Shangri-La’s third cut is “Sucker Row,” and the sleazy slum described there could be home to half of Knopfler’s vivid characters. “We gotta rationalize… it’s kill or be killed,” goes the first-person account of a strip-club owner in that track, and while not everyone in Shangri-La is as cold-blooded, they come close.
Of course, Shangri-La is an album, not a short-story anthology. Fortunately, Mark Knopfler’s musical talent is deep. Listening to his licks and choruses is a pleasure. His melodies blend traditional rock with elements of folk, funk and Americana.
And while he doesn’t have as many guitar solos on Shangri-La as he did in previous albums, his bare-fingered picking is still memorable.
All this serves to make palatable the stories of the dregs of society and those trying to get out. Several standout tracks include the catchy tribute to Ray Kroc, “Boom Like That.” “Song For Sonny Liston” describes the much-maligned boxer who “hung with the hoods but wouldn’t stroke the fans.”
Finally, “All That Matters” is a low-key love song with a moving chorus—and is also the shortest song on this unrushed album, at 3:09. Mark Knopfler’s music is hard to categorize, but if you like complex, nonchalant songs, give Shangri-La a listen.
—reviewed by David Montgomery
Calexico
Calexico’s most recent album, Feast of Wire, is an enjoyable blend of country, jazz from the 50’s and 60’s, surf music and mariachi music. The delightfully idiosyncratic two-member group from Tucson pulls off this unique musical conglomeration very well.
The group is made up of bassist singer Joey Burns, drummer John Convertino and their composer Ennio Morricone.
The CD opens with “Sunken Waltz,” a mellow song that combines drums, acoustic guitar, accordion, striking the mood of despair. Their southwestern sounds include songs like “Attack el Robot! Attack!,” a song that sounds like it comes from a Mexican sci-fi movie. After a more sweepingly orchestrated song (“Quattro”), “Stucco” follows a mellower tune, wonderfully combining piano, drums, cello, and guitar. “Pepita” is another sweeping song, this time completely instrumental. “Not Even Stevie Nicks…,” though a rather standard vocal acoustic guitar song, is quite good. “Across the Widescreen” is the very mariachi-sounding piece on the CD, with a mariachi band and country style vocals.
Calexico is hard to define—there is a wide mix of sounds, styles and instruments,. and Burns himself plays 15 instruments. But that’s what makes them so great—they create their own unique style, refusing to fit into a specific genre.
—reviewed by Carl Falcon
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