Even My Sure Things Fall Through may be a collection of unreleased tracks, B-sides and remixes, but this EP feels like a movie soundtrack. In fact, Calexico should shop this around to the next director making a seedy Western.

Half of the tracks are instrumental. They provide the score for the tale of a desperado on the US Southwest frontier. Longing Mariachi trumpets, twangy Southern guitars and mysterious contrabass basslines paint sultry pictures. When lyrics are added, they confirm these images. Vocalist Joey Burns sounds like a haggard and forlorn cowboy when he utters “Searching for your lost love on the River of Tears/Watching the bullets fly on the crystal frontier,” (Crystal Frontier (Widescreen Version)).”

This pseudo-soundtrack may be a bit of a novelty, but it’s a great excuse to let your imagination run back to the wild, wild West.

- Dave Powers
(As posted 6/20/01 on 3wk.com)