Released 17/08/09, Wichita Records
Speak to any fan of The Bronx about the direction of the cult hardcore punks next album, and it’s a pretty safe bet that they wouldn’t have predicted an album of Mariachi ditties and ballads. But subvert expectations the New York dwellers have, and in the process produced a cracking album suitable for the most jiggy of Tijuana tequila parties.
Opener and first single‘Cell Mates’ sets the scene, with it’s upbeat tone offset by a sliver of melancholy as lead singer Matt Caughtran tells the classic western tale of a man in a (presumably) dusty prison asking ‘little girl, honestly/ will you wait for me?’ It’s got a jaunty little feel to it, something that is continued by the following track, ‘Litigation’, that makes liberal use of- oh the joys!- mariachi trumpets. ‘Quinceniera’ has an altogether more sinister edge, with a sad sounding choir backing the low-key percussion and mournful vocal couplets like ‘every night I get older/ every night is the same’ and ‘the dead can dance if they want romance/ all I need is some air.’
‘Silver or Lead’ brings to mind the soundtrack to the final scene of a 60’s Western epic, as our mysterious hero faces off with the stereotype-fulfilling Mexican bandito. It’s got quick twangy finger picking and the now ubiquitous trumpets creating a tangible sense of fast paced excitement. It actually reminds one of the version of the version of ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ from Kill Bill in its urgency. This is a good thing,
A last-scene sense dictates ‘Holy’ too, though in this case its a bumpy ride into the sunset and slowly fading credits. It’s a low-key belter, with poignant violins throughout. It’s the sound of friends been killed, gunshot wounds to the arm and a desert floor covered with the dead and nearly-dead expelling blood all around you (not that I can actually contest to being too aware of the emotions that would accompany such an instance). A lyric of ‘holy/face of God appear to me/Mother Mary let them all die/ slowly/ hold me in your arms’ displays a thoughtful sense of the mindset of the reluctant killer and, if you were to ever find yourself in the aftermath of a compromising situation involving a cheating ex lover and a sharp instrument (again, not something I'm familiar with), this would be what you’d want playing as you slump to the kitchen floor, wondering how the hell you’re going to shrink that damn glove.
Final song ‘My Love’ is a different beast altogether, and contains simple guitar and accordion and a sweet little lamentation to the singers lost beloved- ‘oh my love/where have you gone?/oh my love/ have you moved on?’ It’s a brilliant sign-off to an album that, after you’ve come to terms with the fact that yes it actually does have mariachi instruments and that no it sounds nothing like The Bronx, is full of love, death and all that’s in between. And what more could you be looking for? Ole!
Posted In Album Reviews, Aug 15 2009.
Words - Terry