Alejandro Escovedo’s The Boxing Mirror comes at a significant juncture, not only in his career but, more importantly, in his life; it was three years ago that Escovedo was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, an affliction that nearly caused his demise. The new release finds him paired with renowned producer John Cale, whose extensive resume includes not only the groundbreaking Velvet Underground, but also some of the most innovative, intriguing, and unsettling music of the last four decades. Admittedly, the combination of Cale’s chilled veneer and Escovedo’s emotional embrace may strike some as an unlikely brew. However, those familiar with Escovedo’s penchant for cerebral rumination and the Cale-like string arrangements that graced his recent live album (Room Of Songs) will realize there’s common ground. Not surprisingly, the themes that permeate The Boxing Mirror draw heavily from Escovedo’s recent illness, especially songs such as “Arizona,� “Deadhead On The Wall,� “Evita’s Lullaby� and “I Died A Little Today,� where Cale’s ominous, swirling atmospherics portend an eerie sense of foreboding. Other tracks – the gentle serenade “The Ladder,� the relentless “Sacramento & Polk,� and the ragged twosome “Notes On Air� and the album’s unnamed, Stones-sounding coda – show equal resolve, if less jarring a juxtaposition. The results stack up as an awesome accomplishment for an artist who, having come face to face with his own mortality, has found a renewed commitment to break new ground.
(Date of release: May 2, 2006)
