- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
In the 21st century, this is what singer/songwriter albums are supposed to sound like. The Boxing Mirror is brilliant, and it is his masterpiece.
-
Rolling StoneA resonant, if occasionally dour, mix of gritty, tuneful rockers and restrained, spectral balladry that evokes Leonard Cohen fronting Crazy Horse. [4 May 2006, p.56]
-
Sober chamber strings dignify a magpie mix of classic rock and conjunto styles; these 11 songs embrace life in all its joy, sorrow and anger.
-
As is often the case with Escovedo, a certain necessary edge is missing.
-
SpinOne of [the year's] most heartfelt albums. [Jun 2006, p.80]
-
Entertainment WeeklyA triumphant CD that owes an unmistakable debt to Lou Reed's noirish 1978 rock operetta Street Hassle. [28 Apr 2006, p.137]
-
At last, everything Escovedo does well is represented on a single disc.
-
His genius is on bold display in the way he intertwines the raw beauty of tunes like "The Ladder," a ballad for Christoff, and "Evita's Lullaby," about his mother's love for his deceased father, with the urgent, Velvets-esque drone of "Break This Time" and the ferocious pounding and vivid imagery of attempted suicide on "Sacramento & Polk."
-
A masterwork from one of the genuine lights in rock music.
-
Subtract [a few tracks] and Los Lobos could've made this album if they, too, got John Cale to produce. That's a compliment to all involved.
-
Inspiring and masterful.
-
An album full of vitality that is smart and intelligent without being boring. More importantly, however, it is simply incredible.
-
The darkest, most mysterious album of his career.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 6 out of 7
-
Mixed: 0 out of 7
-
Negative: 1 out of 7
-
MarkHMay 15, 2006
-
MichaelMMay 10, 2006
-
DaveMay 5, 2006An early entry in the race for the album of the year.