Alejandro Escovedo

There's an irony in the fact that this autobiographical LP from Alejandro Escovedo -- a deservedly celebrated songwriter of the Americana set -- was entirely co-written with Chuck Prophet. The opener, "Always A Friend," seems to speak to the collaborative trust, which results in one of the most wholly formed efforts of Escovedo's catalogue. Part E Street Band, part East L.A., the vignettes are touching and clear-eyed, balancing rockers like "Chip N' Tony" against heart-crushing ballads like "Sister Lost Soul" and "Swallows of San Juan."

To call Alejandro Escovedo the godfather of modern country rock would sell him short. He
fronted the influential twang-rock outfits Rank and File, and True Believers, but as a solo
artist, he's transcended labels, and his latest is a chrome-bright autobiographical song
cycle with flashbacks that roar into the present. "We came to live inside the myth,"
Escovedo hollers on "Chelsea Hotel '78," a reflection on being Sid Vicious' neigh... More >