Favorite playground of Calexica since the middle of the 90s, the South American line running the length of Americana, mariachi rhythms, cumbia and alternative country has barely budged. On the contrary, it has become their water line. The Thread That Keep Us barely deviates from the habits of the Tucson’s lonesome boys but almost tastes like Californian plastic, the State where it was produced. The proof with the quiet pop of End Of The World With You which opens the disc or with Eyes Wide Awake. In this resides the paradox of this album: anti-establishment and involved in these lyrics that carry the words of the oppressed and exiled migrants (Voices In The Field), but even more deeply rooted in a rock comfort zone. You just have to be patient. The festivities extend on the last tracks, served with the instrumental Longboard and Luna Roja, the bittersweet interlude from Inside The Energy Field or even the melancholic Dream On Mount Tam. From the fatal deserts in the South of Arizona, singer Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino remember the border flirtations, even more toxic. It’s a ninth album whose slight excesses aim larger in the end. © CS/Qobuz