Search - Caliche Con Carne :: The Great Cyclops and Other tales Rendered

Invigorating as a fresh batch of homemade hillbilly hooch!

Eric Baldoni | Portland, OR United States | 08/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not since Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, or Patsy Cline has country music been this poetic, prolific, and downright heart-warming.  Caliche Con Carne skillfully constructs a rural musical melange that effervescently swings from whiskey-soaked Appalachian mountain music to southwestern Tex-Mex festivity to Deep South backwoods bluesiness to rowdy holy-roller revivalism.  The toe-tappin', knee-slappin' ditties contained herein are as pure, authentic, and invigorating as a fresh batch of homemade hillbilly hooch.  My ears are undeniably hooked on the angelic, honey-drenched vocals of Raquel Mogollon (her voice is sultry, sweetly titillating, and full of sensuous womanly charm).  The down-home vocal drawl of James Patrick Jordan perfectly complements Raquel's syrupy, paradisiacal harmonies, making me all giddy and euphoric way deep down inside.  The swampy, slithering slide-guitar fierily sizzles in a big ol' boiling vat of brash acoustic-guitar rhythms.  The jaunty mandolin-pickin' swagger of Schwami Lee, robust jug-puffing bass lines of Enrique Baldon, and rootin'-tootin' double-time drum beats of Roberto Duggan exquisitely intertwine to create a pristinely blended collage of rustic, spirit-rousing sonic pleasantness.  I'm absolutely 100% enthralled with this musically picturesque disc!  Now all I want to do the remainder of this long, hot summer evening is relax on the back porch, slowly imbibe a few beers, blast the splendorous pastoral tunes of Caliche Con Carne, and feverishly dance a jig with Mother Nature.  Ain't life grand!"