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Jun 19, 2012It has the breadth, intelligence, mystery and ambitious arrangements of a major work. With 19 songs, it's maybe a touch too long, but almost every song is vivid in its poetry and instrumental coloration.
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UncutJun 12, 2012Gelb's masterstroke is the inclusion of Brian Lopez, Gabriel Sullivan and Jon Villa, whose flourishes of Tex-Mex and cumbia accentuate Tuscon's feel of pan-cultural enchantment. [Jul 2012, p.70]
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Jun 12, 2012This is an absorbing and engaging album that shows Howe Gelb's vision to its best advantage.
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Jul 13, 2012Tuscon requires patient listening, but aside from that one vital misstep [the song, Recovery Mission], the album keeps moving. It's combined a pleasing unpredictability with steadiness that supports Gelb's operatic vision.
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Jul 2, 2012Steel guitar, accordion, mariachi trumpet, lounge piano or a small string section are available as needed, but most of the music stays modest and intimate, staying out of the way of the graceful tunes and laconic thoughts.
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Jun 29, 2012This could be a rare Giant Sand LP that manages to be both sophisticated and sprawling. Overall, Tucson is destined to be labelled as a 'must-keep' for those struggling to house their vast Giant Howe collections.
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Oct 30, 2012Tucson is less a linear narrative and more a collection of songs with a thematic thread and consistent atmosphere.
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MojoJun 26, 2012The new blood broadens the Sand's vocal palette and, along with some of Gelb's sharpest writing in some time - gives Tuscon's 19-song sprawl more energy and focus than any Gelb LP since 2000's Chore of Enchantment. [July 2012, p.89]
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Jun 15, 2012Sometimes, bigger is not better: Giant Sand's Howe Gelb has often been most potent with minimal resources, which may explain why I'm slightly underwhelmed by this major project.
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Jun 12, 2012The record is good as background noise, with a few tracks strong enough to stand alone. As a complete story, though, it doesn't exactly deliver.
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Jun 12, 2012At times, Tucson feels life an afterthought, lacking in the kinetic intensity and corrosive experimentalism of earlier releases.