Calexico Spoke Vinyl LP 2022

1. Low Expectations
2. Mind The Gap
3. Mazurra
4. Sanchez
5. Haul
6. Slag
7. Paper Route
8. Glimpse
9. Navy Cut
10. Spokes
11. Scout
12. Point Vicente
13. Wash
14. Ice Cream Jeep
15. Windjammer
16. Mazurka
17. Removed
18. Stinging Nettle

Repressed on vinyl for the first time in a good while, limited availability. Spoke is the debut studio album of Calexico, from Arizona. The back cover photo of Spoke is a furrowing farm machine, and in the context of this recording, one might imagine clouds of birds following the machinery to eat up the disturbed insects. Calexico snatch up the bits of Americana turned out by a rototilling of the national music psyche. The 19 resultant tracks can be small as insects (the shortest being half a minute in length) and erratic in flight; there are lo-fi songs and themes that proceed without concern for what came before. One bit is held up by guitar, another by accordion, then one by vibes. A bit of desert dust sprinkled throughout may be the only constant theme — a Santa Fe rummage sale of sounds. Spoke is very intriguing and well worth exploring.