Even My Sure Things Fall Through

1	Sonic Wind (Instrumental Mix)
2	Crystal Frontier (Widescreen Version)
3	Untitled III (Remix by Two Lone Swordsmen)
4	Chanel No. 5
5	Banderilla
6	Crooked Road and the Briar
7	Crystal Frontier (Acoustic Version)
8	Hard Hat

Barnes & Noble

Although their sound is all-inclusive, the music of Tucson, Arizona's Calexico radiates the warm glow of the American Southwest: Latin rhythms, a spaghetti-western soundtrack vibe, a Tex-Mex flourish, and a western sense of derring-do when it comes to fusing them all together. Underground rock veterans Joey Burns and John Convertino -- who've done time with Giant Sand, Victoria Williams, Barbara Manning, and others -- are the nexus of the band, but they invite a lot of friends along for each sonic journey. Clocking in at 40 minutes, the eight-song Even My Sure Things Fall Through may not deliver the extended cinematographic focus of their albums (check out Hot Rail and The Black Light) -- it's not intended to. But for both newcomers to the band and ardent fans, there's plenty to recommend it. The dramatic, hip-swiveling "Crystal Frontier," presented in two versions, is powered by an insistent beat and buoyed by soaring, melancholy horns. The expressive music lends itself well to a noirish video adaptation, and it's one of three such videos included in the CD-ROM portion of the disc. "Banderilla" takes a jazzy turn, courtesy of some thumping upright bass, while the Two Lone Swordsmen remix of "Untitled III" connects the dots between the group's inherently rootsy sound and the progressive post-rock axis. Even My Sure Things rates as a fine, sun-burnished sampler of Calexico's inviting sound. Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

On Even My Sure Things Fall Through, Tucson's Calexico compiles eight European B-sides, remixes, covers, and other unreleased tracks, as well as three CD-ROM videos. Such albums often come off as hastily compiled and shoddily sequenced, but Calexico's attempt at a rarities release is surprisingly coherent. From the then-unreleased opener, "Sonic Wind (Instrumental Mix)," to the elegantly lush remake of American Music Club's "Chanel No. 5," the 45-plus minute EP manages to showcase wonderfully the band's deserted desert songs, Tex-Mex music, and arid roots rock. And while diehards may more fully appreciate having these hard to find titles all on one domestically released album, Even My Sure Things Fall Through should prove to be a mini treasure trove for new Calexico fans as well. ~ Jimmy Draper, All Music Guide

Rolling Stone

Working the sun-baked stretch of the border that lies between Arizona and Mexico and between Ennio Morricone and the Tindersticks, tracks like "Sonic Wind," "Banderilla" and the Two Loneswordsman remix of "Untitled III" would make excellent accompaniment for a drive across the desert in an old Lincoln Continental. Dan Epstein

Billboard

Calexico is the type of act that inspires one to turn to grand, literature-like descriptions, as if they're describing the setting for a Louis L'Amour novel, while trying to tell us the band is off creating the great, unheard soundtrack for every spaghetti western. Todd Martens