Burn Something Beautiful
Fantasy Records
Alejandro Escovedo
Three stars
He might not be a household name, but Alejandro Escovedo should be. The 65-year-old singer-songwriter who emerged in the 1970s as a punk rocker, gained acclaim as a soulful Texas-based alt-country star and has been holding down the roots-rock mantle for years.
The styles all coexist wonderfully on his new release Burn Something Beautiful, his first in four years. Escovedo co-wrote the 13 songs and produced it with former R.E.M. member Peter Buck, and Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5. The record comes as Escovedo has battled hepatitis-C and survived a hurricane while on his honeymoon in Mexico. That experience left him with post-traumatic stress disorder.
But Burn Something Beautiful is not a totally maudlin affair. Guitars wail on the opener, Horizontal, setting the tone for what is to come.
His musings on mortality are never far away, such as in the stirring I Don't Want to Play Guitar Anymore. "When there's no stories left to sing," Escovedo sings, "say goodbye to everything".
