What to say about CALEXICO? Everybody knows this band from the desert, from Tucson, Arizona. This album sounds very much like the desert they are coming from and it was released originally in January 1996. The music is very rough and the songs have a very strong atmosphere. Still, no mariachies, no trumpets, no Mexican carnival, just songs that tell stories from the border, from growing up and leaving home, from making decisions and cuts. 'Spoke' is still available in the original gatefold-cover with pictures from historical colour-slides from a time long ago. This is a classic a must-have for everybody that is into songwriter-music. Essential for even a partial Calexico fan.