Recorded in Arizona with Calexico's Joey Burns producing, Amos Lee's fourth studio album, 2011's Mission Bell, finds the singer/songwriter in a thoughtful mood and once again wrapping his soulful folk numbers in country, blues, and soft rock. A ruminative, lazy summer day of an album, Mission Bell is not dissimilar to Lee's last effort, 2008's Last Days at the Lodge, but lacks the more contemporary R&B tracks that made Last Days a bit of a departure from Lee's more granola leanings. Here listeners get the introspective leadoff track "El Camino" and the airy Steve Winwood-sounding ballad "Violin." Similarly engaging is the jaunty mid-album anthem "Flower," which is equal parts the Commodores' "Easy" and Hall & Oates' "She's Gone." It's a brilliant, joyously melodic number with the only downside being that it only works to remind you how melodically dire the rest of the album is. Which isn't to say Mission Bell is bad. On the contrary, there is a lot to admire here and maybe that's the main problem. Lee is a talented songwriter with a distinctive pop voice who is becoming recognized as an heir to the American singer/songwriter throne -- a notion given weight by the addition of several well-known guest artists here, including roots rocker Lucinda Williams and country legend Willie Nelson. That said, he often favors rambling, low-key country numbers that get you to quietly consider the bittersweet nature of our existence rather than lose yourself in the song. You come off a track like "Flower" and keep waiting for another one to grab you in the same "instant classic" kind of way. If Mission Bell rings true, it's in the lyrics with Lee's knack for stories and personal revelations keeping you listening, and not always the melodic content.

Mission Bell

Windows Are Rolled Down

Conjeros de Jorge es una grabación real, cruda y profundamente mexicana.
Un viejo intenta cantar sus consejos, pero ya no tiene dientes…
y de su boca solo salen sonidos, aire y alma.
No se entiende una palabra — y sin embargo, se siente todo.

Es humor, ternura y verdad en su forma más humana.
Una mezcla de rock mexicano, folk callejero y arte sonoro experimental,
como si hubieras encontrado una cinta vieja en una casa de barrio de los años 80.
No hay letra, no hay forma… solo el eco de una vida entera tratando de hablar.

🎙️ Género: Pop Rock Mexicano / Folk Experimental
📍 Origen: Ciudad de México
🎶 Sonido: Guitarra vieja, voz sin dientes, grabación analógica y real.

Una pieza absurda, tierna y sincera — el alma de México en balbuceos. 🇲🇽

#Mexico #RockMexicano #FolkMexicano #ArteSonoro #GrabacionReal #ConjerosDeJorge #MusicaExperimental #PopRock #CulturaPopular #MusicaDelBarrio #CancionDeAutor

---

Conjeros de Jorge is a raw, human, and deeply Mexican recording.
An old man tries to sing his life advice, but he has no teeth —
only air, breath, and emotion come out.
No words can be understood, yet every sound feels alive.

It’s absurd, tender, and strangely beautiful —
a mix of Mexican folk, lo-fi rock, and experimental sound art.
Like finding an old cassette in a dusty house in Mexico City,
you hear more truth in his mumbling than in any polished song.

🎙️ Genre: Mexican Folk / Experimental Pop Rock
📍 Origin: Mexico City
🎶 Sound: Out-of-tune guitar, toothless voice, real analog warmth.

A piece of humor, heart, and heritage —
the sound of Mexico trying to speak, and somehow saying everything. 🇲🇽

#Mexico #MexicanRock #FolkRock #SoundArt #FieldRecording #ConjerosDeJorge #LoFi #ExperimentalMusic #MexicanCulture #RealMusic #Underground


Windows Are Rolled Down

AmosLee