Murfreesboro’s patron sinners are back with a twin guitar attack that’s more Thin Lizzy than Allman Brothers and a welcome summertime shimmy in their step, a beacon of beer joints shining toward a Southern man’s version of American Graffiti. Feral Fire not only delivers on all fronts, but it comes with a rock ‘n’roll pedigree boasting Matt Pence of Centro-matic behind the controls and a release on Lucero’s label, Liberty and Lament.
Now, I know I said that Glossary is back, but honestly they’ve never really left us. Glossary and its associated constellation of folks have been very much the hub of Murfreesboro’s music scene for years. Their ethic of writing songs and playing music simply for the pleasure and fulfillment of doing so is a gift to local culture. I just thought it was time to say something about how we have often depended on them but largely taken Glossary’s generosity for granted. No more!
OK, to the record . . .
Feral Fire comes out with six-gun and barbecue blazing like glint of sunshine from a sweaty summertime tall-boy. The three-headed juggernaut of “Lonely is a Town,” “Save Your Money for the Weekend” and “Trembling Boy” drive Glossary’s brand of optimism in the face of Southern heartbreak and existential demise home like a souped-up El Camino. This alone is worth the price of admission.
It’s not all about hell-raising debauchery, dirty dancing, carousing and skirt chasing, though there are lyrics about each of those topics that are just about the best I’ve ever heard. “So if what I wanna do is sin, Honey, then God better cover his eyes.” I was struck by a statement in the band’s accompanying press release. “I think every human being feels like they are here to do something great, but they just don’t know what it is. The record is really about trying to find out what that is . . . having this real longing fire.”
I think that’s where the real heart of Glossary is. They’ve been looking for that damn thing for nearly a decade and we’re lucky enough to hear the soundtrack to their struggle.
