Alejandro Escovedo (from the album Echo Dancing

Alejandro Escovedo (from the album Echo Dancing

Alejandro Escovedo (from the album Echo Dancing available on Yep Roc Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)

Alejandro Escovedo ranks as one of the true forefathers of the music now called Americana. Beginning with his short-lived glam-influenced Buick MacKane, LA Punk Rock with The Nuns, and onward through his tenure in the ‘80s Alt Country combo The True Believers. Living in a brilliant and highly lauded solo career, Escovedo has hoisted himself up to the highest rungs of a certain rarified respect.

It’s only appropriate then that his new album, aptly titled Echo Dancing, retraces some 14 songs from throughout his career, each reimagined in such a way that completist will have no reason to complain that it’s simply a compilation that demands any unnecessary repurchase. Indeed, each entry offers a decidedly different approach as compared to the initial incarnation. So too, given Escovedo’s decidedly diverse approach, each of these entries becomes an absolute revelation in and of itself.
 
That’s clearly evident from the very beginning, courtesy of the raucously rocking album opener “John Conquest”. The songs that immediately follow — “Sacramento & Polk” and “Bury Me” — sound like something Talking Heads or Television might have imagined early on. Likewise, “Everybody Loves Me”, “Too Many Tears”, and “Castañuelas” (the latter given a title change from the earlier “Castanets”) offer a radical departure as well, especially in terms of their turgid sound and seemingly ominous intent.

The obvious intensity takes a breather later on, courtesy of the solemn yet sublime “Outside Your Door”, the ghostly “Inside This Dance”, and the pretty piano pastiche that illuminates an appropriately named “Sensitive Boys”. Think Leonard Cohen sharing a campfire serenade with Jim Morrison as far as those first two selections are concerned. The other-worldly and atmospheric “Thought I’d Let You Know”, the eerie yet affecting “Last To Know”, and the quiet, contemplative “Swallows of San Juan” lend added ambiance. Indeed, those familiar with his lexicon overall will likely appreciate the fact that Alejandro Escovedo doesn’t avoid taking chances, one of many reasons why he’s an essential artist and a musician who continues to cultivate his craft through new means of expression.

If there is any complaint, it might that the liner notes omit any information about the source material, effectively negating the ability to compare the newer versions with the initial offerings. That makes it difficult for the novice to fully appreciate the depth of Escovedo’s efforts. No matter though. Echo Dancing stands up on its own, making for yet another memorable entry in an already compelling catalog.  (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
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