{"id":132972,"date":"2026-02-13T22:18:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/132972\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T22:18:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T22:18:32","slug":"el-mariachi-bronx-walk-us-through-the-corridos-and-norteno-ballads-that-make-up-their-new-lp-iv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/132972\/","title":{"rendered":"El Mariachi Bronx Walk Us Through the Corridos and Norte\u00f1o Ballads That Make Up Their New LP \u201cIV\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you sense a certain punkish affect at various points throughout El Mariachi Bronx IV, you\u2019re certainly onto something. Picking up where they left off in 2014, the mariachi ensemble El Mariachi Bronx has ironically been busy releasing albums titled V and VI while rocking the Clark Kent glasses of their more familiar guise, the LA punk troupe The Bronx<\/a>. Despite the obvious gulf in aesthetic between streamlined hardcore punk and the traditional Mexican sounds produced by their extended octet formation, singles like \u201cSongbird\u201d and \u201cForgive or Forget\u201d possess a certain instrumental urgency and emotive vocal performance that suggest overlap.<\/p>\n

Given that over a decade has passed since El Mariachi Bronx have released an official LP, vocalist Matt Caughthran seems eager to express how each of these 12 songs sourced their influences from realms outside of punk (well, with the exception of an homage to Oingo Boingo and a brief spoken-word passage performed by Fear\u2019s Lee Ving). Instead, mentions of corridos, norte\u00f1o, and loter\u00edas come up throughout his track-by-track breakdown of IV, laying the groundwork for more universal ballads of love, war, freedom, and trauma.<\/p>\n

With the record out today via ATO, listen along and check out Caughthran\u2019s full breakdown below.<\/p>\n

1. \u201cForgive or Forget\u201d
This song is about love, loss, regret, addiction, and hope. It was the first song we wrote for the album, so in that way it feels like classic El Bronx. It also has a small psychedelic vibe to it, which I love.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. \u201cBandoleros\u201d
This is the battle cry of the album, for sure. I wanted to tap into the mariachi corrido writing style with this one. Corridos are traditionally somewhat of a musical newspaper that tell the stories of revolution, heroes, villains, etc. This song is all about going to war.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cSong Bird\u201d
This song is about writer\u2019s block and rediscovering inspiration. It\u2019s the only song on the album that originated in the studio. I was truly stuck at the time trying to finish a couple songs lyrically, and this song snapped me out of it and brought me back to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. \u201cAll Things\u201d
This song is about a lot of things, but mostly trauma exchange\u2014that feeling of freedom you get from being honest and open about your past with your partner. It\u2019s about breaking the cycle. The music on the song is so beautiful, soft-layered guitars. Also one of the longest songs we\u2019ve ever written.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. \u201cEl Dorado\u201d
This is a classic feel-good norte\u00f1o tune about an American dude falling for a Mexican chick with a crazy family. Very inspired by Flaco Jim\u00e9nez.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6. \u201cFools Gold\u201d
This is a heartbreaking song about a sad man who\u2019s always being taken advantage of by gangster-ass women. It was inspired by the oldies era and a reoccurring dream I have about drowning in quicksand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

7. \u201cThe Takers\u201d
This song is sort of a Western bolero. It\u2019s all about the end of the world, Southern California, and how everybody makes it out to be hell on Earth. The music is so cinematic and beautiful. One of my favorite songs on the album.<\/p>\n

8. \u201cRIP Romeo\u201d
This song is about the death of Romeo and the disillusion of love. It\u2019s also about reimagining Romeo as a player instead of a romantic. This has a very classic El Bronx feel to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

9. \u201cGamblers Prayer\u201d
This song is about the gambler in all of us. Another sort of Western feel. We had Lee Ving from the legendary Los Angeles punk band Fear do the spoken-word part in the middle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

10. \u201cEl Borracho\u201d
This is a song based on the famous Mexican loter\u00eda card \u201cEl Borracho,\u201d or \u201cThe Drunk.\u201d I wanted to write this song forever. A perfect slow waltz to drink and dance to!<\/p>\n

11. \u201cTie You Down\u201d
This is a sad song about a man who is tortured by perspective. The world views him as a hero, but he sees himself as the villain. This song was previously recorded at Dave Grohl\u2019s Studio 606 and never used. We\u2019ve always loved it and decided to re-record it for the album.\u00a0<\/p>\n

12. \u201cInto the Afterlife\u201d
This song is all about what happens when you die. It has a bit of an Oingo Boingo \u201cDead Man\u2019s Party\u201d vibe to it, especially in the outro. I love the electric guitar and violins in the song. Perfect way to end the album.<\/p>\n