Alt country's become a bit of a dirty phrase recently. The glut of ex-rock pretenders listening to a couple of Byrds records and deciding that it's time to ditch the wah-wah pedals, coupled with some serious over-exposure of the genre in the press, has seen the British public opting instead for the mainstream, declaring their hitherto unheard-of love for Johnny Cash ("yeah, I like Walk The Line, and, er..."). It goes without saying, though, that the kind of bands who made it such a success in the first place quietly carry on putting out masterful records in the background. Garden Ruin is one such record.

Taking, as always, traditional elements of modern American folk music like the acoustic guitar, pedal steel, hushed and dusty drums and twanged bass and weaving from these a wonderful collection of songs, by turns melancholy and mournful and hearty and upbeat, Calexico provide us with a collection of incredible songs that is as unpredictable as it is accomplished. It's obvious where the influences lie - Vic Chestnutt's heartfelt melancholy is shot through Yours And Mine, Gram Parsons' innocent and elated stylings lift Letter To Bowie Knife to the rafters, Lucky Dime displays the spirit of scene youngster Willy Mason - but this is a collection of songs unmistakably Calexico through and through.

One of the best albums we've heard in simply ages.