Hector Saldana (guitar), Flaco Jimenez (accordion) and Augie Meyers (vox organ) return to bring us the latest Krayolas album. “Americano” emphasizes it’s tex-mex garage pop roots, but the band expands it’s traditional sound a bit. Opening with the zydeco styled “Exit/Salida” it hints at new things. “Fruteria” gets back to the band’s sound as “los hombres mexicanos del Beatlesque.” The Dylan rock of “Piso Diez” with Saldana’s wicked guitar lead is another treat here. A many tracks don’t have the punch of earlier stellar efforts, but there are still plenty of songs here that make the album a keeper. The understated “If I Can’t Have You” and “Missed The Last Train” are great examples of classic rock composition. “I’m Not The Man” borrows from The Shangri-La’s style of balladry and it gets downright psychedelic on “You’re On Top” and “Wall of Accordion” which ends in a cacophony of horns and guitars. More interesting is politically charged bilingual rock ‘n’ roll single “1070 (I’m Your Dirty Mexican)” available on The Krayolas site. It’s a protest over the recent anti-immigration legislation and a damn fine song too.
