{"id":17266,"date":"2014-11-10T14:27:20","date_gmt":"2014-11-10T14:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-mariachi-el-bronx-iii\/"},"modified":"2018-03-17T15:06:34","modified_gmt":"2018-03-17T15:06:34","slug":"album-review-mariachi-el-bronx-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-mariachi-el-bronx-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Mariachi El Bronx – III"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"For those that already know; it’s a new Mariachi El Bronx <\/b>album, enjoy. For those who don’t – Californians The Bronx <\/b>are a fantastic punk rock band, who lead a double life as a competent mariachi band, mariachi being a type of Mexican folk music, with strummed acoustic guitars and a horn section; like ska-punk but without the white dudes with dreadlocks. This is their third record as can be deduced from the title and what started as a jokey side-project is now 7 years down the line – should we start to take MEB<\/b> as seriously as their day job? On the basis of this album, not yet.<\/p>\n

As alluded to in the first sentence, those who have already heard Mariachi El Bronx<\/b> know what they’re in for; swoon-worthy vocals from Matt Caughthran and punchier songs intertwined with lovelorn balladry. However, all is not what it seems here, as some electronica has impinged on MEB’s<\/b> territory; it’s an experiment to keep the material fresh three albums in, but the soundclash between more modern sounds on traditional musical stylings make for awkward bedfellows. Take opener ‘New Beat’<\/i> for instance; this shows MEB<\/b> at their soaring best, but a squelchy synth breakdown towards the end feels out of place and unnecessarily tacked on; the same goes for the echo effect in ‘Sticks And Stones’<\/i> – ostensibly it’s to add an ambience and atmosphere to the song, but in practice it feels unnatural and redundant.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Much like on the last couple of “real” Bronx records, when MEB<\/b> get it right, they nail it, such as on the emphatic ‘High Tide’<\/i>, the dramatic shuffle of ‘Raise The Dead’<\/i> or on penultimate track ‘Right Between The Eyes’<\/i>, where they go for glory and reach Morricone-esque levels of grandeur. However, similarly to the last two MEB\/Bronx<\/b> albums, this feels one or two tracks too long, the meandering ‘Eternal’<\/i> in particular seeming better left on the cutting room floor. ‘III’<\/i> can keep one entertained in parts but drags too much to be the main focal point; it pains me to use the term “dinner party music”<\/i> when The Bronx have created some of the most vital punk rock the 21st century has seen, but you can just see this on the stereo at a burrito joint in amongst parping covers of Radiohead and Nirvana, the diners none the wiser to its source of origin.<\/p>\n

It’s quite fitting that, following this record’s release, Mariachi El Bronx<\/b> head out on tour with “gypsy-punk” outfit Gogol Bordello, whom you may remember shouted at you a few years ago to start wearing purple. Both bands leave an impression, but it’s a temporary, throwaway one – there’s no doubt both acts will release further albums because everyone loves a gimmick, but neither will remain long in the conscious. Though it has its moments and will be of benefit to your existing collection if already a fan of MEB<\/b>, there are too many misses on this album to warrant ‘III’<\/i> being yet another continuation of this charming yet ultimately quite lame pastiche.<\/p>\n

3.5\/5<\/p>\n

‘III’<\/i> by Mariachi El Bronx<\/b> is out now on ATO Records<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Mariachi El Bronx<\/b> links: Website<\/a>|Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Ollie Connors (@olliexcore<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For those that already know; it’s a new Mariachi El Bronx album, enjoy. For those who don’t – Californians The Bronx are a fantastic punk rock band, who lead a double life as a competent mariachi band, mariachi being a type of Mexican folk music, with strummed acoustic guitars and a horn section; like ska-punk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,8181],"tags":[5879,864,7826,2870],"class_list":["post-17266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-reviews","category-post","tag-album-reviews","tag-ato-records","tag-iii","tag-mariachi-el-bronx"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlbum Review: Mariachi El Bronx - III - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For those that already know; it’s a new Mariachi El Bronx album, enjoy. 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