THE IGUANAS
Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart (YepRoc)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Nice to see The Iguanas spreading their wings after perfecting their Los Lobos impersonation on earlier records. There's still plenty Latin rootsy bits here to appease that crowd, but the payoff comes with some clever gear shifts. With a great sax lead and lowdown vocals, "Flame On" sounds suspiciously like a Morphine staple. The sombre, reminiscing plodder "9 Volt Heart" is pure Bruce Springsteen. The rolling, straight ahead guitar pop of "I Dig You" is a perfect Smithereens tune. The fuzzy lounge of "The Liquor Dance" and the ghostly Spanish creeper "Abandonado" complete the cycle. These Iguanas turn out to be superb chameleons who swirl around in just the right music circles.

© 2003 - John Sekerka