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After more than two years of pandemic-enforced isolation, Brisbane’s Mexico City are blasting open the barnyard again with their latest release, "Closer To Home". Produced by Jamie Trevaskis at his Wild Mountain Sound studio at Mt Nebo, the new album combines the crackle and spark of the five-piece’s garage rock roots with a side serving of tough but tender country soul, thanks in large part to the band’s newest members, Conrad Taylor on bass guitar and Joe Cryle on pedal and lap steel guitar. Put down live to tape, the album captures the pastoral environment in which it was recorded, with bird calls and other ambient noises heard in the record’s quieter moments, plus a couple of epic guitar work-outs that mirror the expansive night skies they were performed under. Opening with the fuzzed-out swagger and twin vocals of “Broken Heart”, the album quickly leads into the barroom blues stomp of “Stepping Out”, before taking a breather with the swelling, mantra-like atmospherics of “Drop The Needle”. The barn door swings open again with the rollicking country rock strains of “Country Dark”, a defiant call to arms about growing old and saying goodbye to those you love. It’s followed by “Someone Like Me”, which is stripped down to just an acoustic and pedal steel guitar for an unflinching look at life and love. The second side of the record opens with the title track, “Closer To Home” which combines ringing electric guitars with wistful “Lay Lady Lay” style pedal steel, before sliding into the dark, seductive dirge of album centrepiece, “Go Slow”. The album shifts gears again with piano taking the spotlight for the woozy, lovestruck ache of “Real Love”, before closing with a couple of punch-in-the-guts numbers: the indie country soul stylings of “Better Off Alone”, and the tequila-shots-at-2am vibe of “Learning To Love Again”, a harmonica-drenched paean to moving on and finding new love and redemption. "Closer To Home" is Mexico City’s fourth album. It follows 2016’s "When The Day Goes Dark", 2009’s "Brown Bird" and 2006’s "Black Comedy". Closer To Home was released digitally on 1 September 2022, with preorders (including vinyl) available from https://mexicocityband.bandcamp.com. Mexico City is Adam Toole (vocals/guitar), Simon Radich (guitar), Ben Carstens (drums), Conrad Taylor (bass) and Joe Cryle (pedal steel).