'El Mirador’ is out now!⁠⁠ ✨⁠⁠

April 08, 2022

Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Covertino are releasing their 10>span class="s9"> studio album today, a luminous and hopeful record titled ‘El Mirador’. Listen to it HERE.

8/10 Uncut
★★★★ Sunday Times
★★★★ MOJO
★★★★ Rock’n’Reel
★★★★ Shindig
★★★★ The Sun

“Richly cinematic and more eclectic than recent efforts. El Mirador rambles from the cumbia rhythms of ‘Cumbia Peninsula’ to the desert ambience of ‘Turquoise’ to the widescreen expanse of closer ‘Caldera’. Both earthy and cosmic, the music sounds almost psychedelic in its lively swirls of sounds.” Uncut – 8/10

“More mariachi mystery carefully balanced on John Convertino and Joey Burns’ tenth studio LP... Gaby Moreno and Sam Beam vocalise on ‘Harness The Wind’, tense ‘Liberada’ cries revolution and ‘The El Burro Song’ typifies Burns’ dream of a pan-lingual “borderless” world.” MOJO – 4 stars ****

“ ‘El Mirador’ is dedicated to family, friends and community,” says Burns; singer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Calexico. “The pandemic highlighted all the ways we need each other, and music happens to be my way of building bridges and encouraging inclusiveness and positivity. That comes along with sadness and melancholy, but music sparks change and movement.” Burns and Convertino have been performing together for over 30 years, sharing a deep love of jazz and usually building songs on a foundation of bass and drums. But all these years later, Calexico is still breaking new ground. ‘El Mirador’ showcases a sunnier side of the band, cutting through two years of pandemic fog with a blast of danceable optimism. Writing and recording alongside Sergio Mendoza (keys, accordion, percussion), the album expands on long running influences of cumbia, mariachi and the plethora of diaspora sounds flourishing throughout the Southwest. “I've been playing with Calexico for about 15 years, and I admire Joey and John's constant search for new sounds,” reflects Mendoza, who’s newly built home studio became a refuge for the band and reduced pandemic risks while fostering a more organic creative process. “After so many albums,” he adds, “I'm really proud we were able to achieve something so fresh together.”