Mexrrissey have become a global phenomenon thanks to their Spanish-language reworkings of Morrissey songs. They have toured the UK, US and Australia, helped by continuing speculation as to why Mexicans so adore his melancholia. Now comes their debut album, which is delightful and frustrating.
This is not the usual tribute band but a group of leading musicians led by Camilo Lara and Sergio Mendoza, whose bold Latin arrangements bring a mariachi brass treatment to First of the Gang to Die, and a cha-cha makeover to We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful. But there’s one disappointment: there are only seven songs here (five of which are repeated as live versions), and they don’t include any classic Morrissey-Marr Smiths songs, even though Panic and How Soon Is Now? are featured in the stage show. Why not? It seems that Johnny Marr didn’t give his permission.
