I was broke. Like 'broke.' Tho I had no money in 1998, these guys had a date at The Troubadour in West Hollywood and somehow, I went to see them. It was right after Black Light was released. I'd been in LA for a few years, but still hadn't found my groove, or my place. That night is memorable because I find a lot of loneliness in Calexico. The twang-y, western-y, voice heavy songs are slow, melodic and relaxing. It's not music that I naturally gravitate to. Instead, I think of Calexico as a suitable alternative to the world I inhabited. It's no worse than this one and might even be better... like, what if everything we know is wrong? This album has the same southwestern vibe, dripping with thoughts of independent film in a close but foreign world. One that I'll visit again.