Albums to watch

The Thread That Keeps Us

Calexico

The Thread That Keeps Us

Ninth studio album from the Arizona-based indie Americana sextet

ADM rating[?]

6.8

Label
City Slang
UK Release date
26/01/2018
US Release date
26/01/2018
  1. 10.0 |   The Independent

    May be the album that finally hoists this most undervalued of American bands to their rightful place alongside the likes of R.E.M. and Wilco
    Read Review

  2. 8.0 |   Q

    Pound for pound, this is their strongest set in years. Print edition only

  3. 8.0 |   Mojo

    If the band have upped the musical chaos, there’s still an unashamedly romantic feel. Print edition only

  4. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    After nine albums, it takes effort to make a record that sounds as vibrant as this, without losing the very basis of your original appeal. Calexico have managed it
    Read Review

  5. 8.0 |   All Music

    By turns gentle and bold, traditional and boundary-pushing, The Thread That Keeps Us is another fine example of Calexico's ever-broadening horizons
    Read Review

  6. 7.5 |   Under The Radar

    There is comfort for fans of Calexico that their newest effort is not a departure, but an expanded inclusion of musical styles added to their all-too wide palette of sound
    Read Review

  7. 7.1 |   Pitchfork

    An album that pointedly humanizes the disenfranchised people whose voices are too often shut out of policy debates
    Read Review

  8. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    Calexico have learned to let go a little, to let nature take over. The result is surprisingly comforting
    Read Review

  9. 7.0 |   The Music

    Happily, a handful of standouts, such as the emotional gut-buster End Of The World With You and the expansive-yet-understated beauty of Music Box, save this expedition from becoming a lost one
    Read Review

  10. 6.6 |   Sputnik Music (staff)

    A good Calexico record, still it doesn’t have outstanding peaks
    Read Review

  11. 6.5 |   Spectrum Culture

    The group mixes in growing set of influences while trying to find that titular object that can hold us together
    Read Review

  12. 6.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    They’ve flexed their muscles and had a go at everything, with the possible exception of speed metal. Some of it has worked, but not all of it
    Read Review

  13. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    Strong as many of these 15 tracks are, such as the opening End of the World With You, the urgent Bridge to Nowhere and the throbbing Eyes Wide Awake, they lack Calexico’s early distinctive cultural stamp
    Read Review

  14. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    A rougher, slightly knottier Calexico than we're used to
    Read Review

  15. 4.5 |   Earbuddy

    The thread has been unraveling for a while but with this album, Calexico finally sounds threadbare
    Read Review

  16. 4.0 |   Exclaim

    There are some truly enjoyable moments on Calexico's latest — but they're vastly overshadowed by at turns annoying or just boring tracks, bogged down in an overly long record
    Read Review


blog comments powered by Disqus

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Latest Reviews

More reviews