“The Crossing” Is a Relentlessly Inventive Album

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Album Review

Alejandro Escovedo with Don Antonio
The Crossing
Yep Roc

Over the course of a four-decade career, Alejandro Escovedo has ranged from scorching, punk-inflected rock to dusty-roots grooves, but his wonderfully expressive voice has been a constant. Tough yet tender, capable of conveying defiance and vulnerability in the same breath, Escovedo has a plainspoken charisma that brings familiar accounts of daily striving and fleeting grace to vivid life, touching on greater truths along the way. Featuring backing by the punchy Italian band Don Antonio, “The Crossing” has an eclectic reach echoing the best efforts of Los Lobos, blending traditional Mexican sounds, orchestral pop, sizzling boogie noise, and a host of other flavors into one exciting whole. With guest shots by Texas troubadour Joe Ely, renegade guitar heroes Wayne Kramer (MC5) and James Williamson (Stooges), and Peter Perrett and John Perry of Britain’s New Wave faves The Only Ones underscoring Escovedo’s versatility, this relentlessly inventive album is a memorable trip.