Album Reviews

Following a 10-year hiatus, hardcore punk legends The Bronx have once again donned their signature charro suits, leading the charge with trumpets blazing as they honor the rich Hispanic music and culture that have always surrounded them in Los Angeles. And honestly, this album couldn’t have come at a better time, serving as a reminder that other cultures have a lot to offer if you’re actually willing to listen instead of pushing them out.

Mariachi El Bronx IV comes with a dozen new songs inhabited by gamblers, former Mariachi El Bronx IV comes with a dozen new songs populated by gamblers, former playboys, warriors, lovers and bandoleros, all navigating love, heartbreak, hope and personal loss.

Personal favorites include the opener ‘Forgive Or Forget’, the soaring ‘Songbird’ and the slower shuffle of ‘The Takers’. Elsewhere, the accordion-drive ‘El Dorado’ is guaranteed to be a hit at every future Mariachi El Bronx show with lines like ‘her dad’s a federale / he’s passed out in the alley / and crooked as the Rio Grande’. But really, the entire album is packed with frenzied strumming, sweeping strings and trumpets blown with undeniable gusto.

As vocalist Matt Caughthran puts it: “This band has always been about learning and exchanging culture through music and art. That’s what it’s all about! Everything we do comes from the heart and soul.” And it shows on IV. Also, fuck ICE.

Mariachi El Bronx IV tracklist

1. Forgive or Forget 
2. Bandoleros
3. Songbird 
4. All Things 
5. El Dorado 
6. Fools Gold 
7. The Takers 
8. RIP Romeo 
9. Gambler’s Prayer 
10. El Borracho 
11. Tie You Down
12. Into The Afterlife