If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times

Album review

If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times is a title that clearly holds some real significance for the Iguanas; like many residents of New Orleans, the members of the eclectic Crescent City four-piece found themselves run out of town by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and it was close to a year before the band was able to return home after an extended exile in Austin, TX, and on the road. If You Should Ever Fall doesn't dwell much on the details of a three-year stretch that must have been difficult (to say the least) for the Iguanas, though the corrupt politician who narrates "Back in the Limelight" and the guy waiting out a storm with his faithful dog in "El Huracan y Pin Pon" are characters they've probably gotten to know quite well. Instead of dwelling on a tragedy, the Iguanas have opted to do what they do best -- play music that celebrates the funky gumbo of Latin music, Caribbean rhythms, and R&B swagger that is so much a part of New Orleans music, but with a special balance of ingredients that sets them apart from the average roots music outfit. The sardonic wit of songs like "Dancing for Dollars Again" and "Sour Grapes" and the hard-luck true-life tales of "Morgan City" and "Okemah" confirm that the Iguanas haven't lost their way with words while dealing with tough times, and the instrumentals "The Beep" and "The Fall" demonstrate they can communicate eloquently without saying a single word. For the Iguanas, playing well is the best revenge against the twin specters of Katrina and FEMA, and If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times proves their troubles haven't broken their stride one bit.

© Mark Deming /TiVo