Calexico Live Review

They've been away awhile, presumably driving through endless deserts, but Calexico returned to London last night to a heroes' welcome.

New album Algiers, their first in four years, formed the main body of the set, along with a peppering of Calexiclassics.

Fortunately the new material is amongst the strongest of their career, and the duo of Joey Burns and John Convertino - along with their superb live band - brought the songs to life in a captivating manner.

Opening with Epic from the new album and following with 2003's Across The Wire, the band rolled through a set that gained momentum as the night wore on, with ensuing numbers prompting ever increasing waves of clapping, hollering and loose hipped bobbing from the crowd.

The duo were accompanied by a brilliant five-piece band, each of whom seemed to play several different instruments in pretty much every song.

Trumpet player Jacob Valenzuela took centre stage to perform his own track No Te Vayas, one of the night's unexpected highlights.

Roka (Danza de la Muerte) and the band's cover of Love's Alone Again Or proved particular favourites with the crowd, and by the time the show finished with a swirling Crystal Lake London's Kentish Town had been relocated a little closer to the Mexican border.

Gavin Cullen