John Convertino and Joey Burns spend a good portion of their time playing with their friend Howe Gelb in the once prolific Giant Sand. But as contractual obligations--or, perhaps, contractual constraints--forced the band to lay off from time to time, it gave the backing boys plenty of time to pursue their own interests as Calexico. Much like Giant Sand, Calexico play a loose game, as likely to pursue Tom Waitsesque instrumentals (lots of shiny metallic percussion everywhere) as an abstract, countrified songwriting muse. The addition of horns and violin for the opening instrumental, "El Picador," and the distorted Spanish guitar of "Muleta" suggest that they've spent time well below Calexico's border. Twangy guitar riffs abound, and when pressed into tunes they highlight the duo's capacity for understated songwriting ("Ballad of Cable Hogue," "Service and Repair") that not so surprisingly sounds much like Giant Sand themselves. --Rob O'Connor