IN REVIEW: Mariachi el Bronx - "III"

For over a decade, Matt Caughthran and company have been wrecking necks as hardcore stalwarts The Bronx. However, their affinity for mariachi music has been present long enough to warrant their mariachi band alter egos to be treated as a separate entity. Through their surprising 2009 debut and its formidable 2011 follow-up, the project's existence has faced dumbfounded criticism as a mere novelty act.

The thing is (as their second record confirmed), Mariachi el Bronx aren't a novelty act; they display a genuine respect for the mariachi genre, honing their songwriting along the way and creating earnest, honest and fun records. The third doesn't waver from the mission, rarely straying from the script and giving us another faithful representation of the group as mariachi players.

Just as their second mariachi album's sense of melody informed The Bronx's fourth hard rock album, that album's sharpened hooks find their way to this record. Lead single Wildfires is a catchy, punchy song no matter the genre, while High Tide's chorus bursts from the speakers with life. Meanwhile, Caughthran is in top form throughout vocally and lyrically and, as good as the musicians are here, it's his performance that most benefits the songs.

They do throw the occasional curveball, most notably during the first half of Eternal (which is awash in a low, orchestral swell) and the cajun-flavoured Everything Twice. However, inevitably even the detours lead back to the beaten path and, as refreshing as the mariachi sounds have been, there's only so far it can travel without becoming just a bit tiresome.

Still, the effort to get the most out of that core sound is there, and the album remains interesting enough, tapping out at the 37-minute mark before it can wear out its welcome. I still prefer them laying waste to earbuds with loud rock, but with a third album that hits all the expected spots and aspires to reach a little higher Mariachi el Bronx has commanded my respect on its own merits.

November 4, 2014 • ATO

Highlights Wildfires • High Tide • Everything Twice