Tom Russell, Borderland - 49m 36s

Tracks & Durations

1. Touch of Evil	5:42
2. Down the Rio Grande	5:37
3. When Sinatra Played Juarez	3:37
4. Where the Dream Begins	4:41
5. Hills of Old Juarez	4:01
6. The Santa Fe at Midnight	4:07
7. The Next Thing Smokin'	3:48
8. California Snow	4:52
9. Let It Go	3:35
10. What Work Is	5:38
11. The Road It Gives, the Road It Takes Away	3:50

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Review

Borderland's guitar and accordion evoke the cantinas of the Texas-Mexico border, but most of the songs here concern what the album-opening "Touch of Evil" calls "the borderline between a woman and a man." Raised in California, veteran troubadour Tom Russell moved a few years ago to the corner of Texas where El Paso meets Juarez, following his songwriting muse into territory that he probes to richly evocative effect throughout these narratives. Though his voice tends toward the wooden ("Hills of Old Juarez" could pass as a Johnny Cash demo) and his melodies too often provide the barest support for his storylines, the help of producer Gurf Morlix, accordionist Joel Guzman, keyboardist Ian McLagan, and singers Eliza Gilkyson and Jimmy LaFave add warmth and range. Highlights extend from the bittersweet balladry of "Where the Dream Begins" to the melodic lilt of "Let It Go," with Dave Alvin, Katy Moffatt, and Russell's longtime guitarist Andrew Hardin collaborating on other material. --Don McLeese

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