On his scorching, cinematic new concept album The Crossing, Alejandro
Escovedo tells the story of two young immigrants – Salvo from Italy, and
Diego from Mexico – working in a Texas restaurant in pursuit of the American
dream. Mirroring Escovedo’s own experience as the child of Mexican
immigrants, and drawing inspiration from his relationship with Italian co-writer
Antonio Gramentieri, their journey navigates cultural identity, ancestral
weight,
minority rights and racism as they realize they have arrived in a different
America – one that’s not as open and free as they believed it would be.
The first single,“Sonica USA,” featuring Wayne Kramer of MC5 on guitar, is a
scorcher that serves as an ode to the 70s punk scene where Escovedo found solace
as a Mexican-American growing up in Austin, and the solidarity he found in his
brother’s own pioneering punk band the Zeros. Says Escovedo: “Early on
I’d play in San Marcos, San Antonio and get all these Chicano kids in denim
vests and Iron Maiden patches. I remember thinking they were into us, not
necessarily for the music, but for the fact that we were on stage. They loved
that we were doing what we were doing.”
Escovedo crossed borders of his own for The Crossing sessions, recording outside
the US for the first time ever at a farmhouse in Villafranca, Northern Italy
with the help of co-producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Gomez, Iron & Wine).
Italian all-instrumental group Don Antonio – helmed by co-writer Antonio
Gramentiere – bring the record’s
narrative to life with their sweeping arrangements, while cameos from Kramer and
The Stooges’ James Williamson serve as reminders that Escovedo’s punk ethos
burns bright (both bands name are checked in the lyrics as well).
Elsewhere on the record, alt-country pioneer Joe Ely features on both the title
track and his self-penned “Silver City”, while Peter Perrett and John Perry
from UK legends The Only Ones reunite for their first recording in almost
40 years on “Waiting For Me.”