Over the past several years Royal Fingerbowl has quietly developed into perhaps the finest and most distinctively original rock band currently working in New Orleans, or anywhere else for that matter. Although comprised of notable veterans of the local music scene, this trio led by Alex McMurray on guitar and vocals along with the peerless Carlo Nuccio on drums and the distinguished, now recently replaced Andy Wolf on bass, is anything but your typical local act. They aren’t particularly funky, they rarely ever delve into the standard New Orleans songbook and they don’t sound even remotely like any other band you might find gracing a local stage. This is largely due to the fact that Alex McMurray is the rarest of songwriters. He is not only a throwback to the Tin Pan Alley era, possessing a rare talent for melody and song-craft, but is also an equally gifted (and twisted) lyricist capable of darkly penetrating wit and misty-eyed wistful emotion in a way that is virtually unequaled by any composer actively writing in their prime today.
On this, their second release, Royal Fingerbowl delivers 12 exquisitely diverse songs ably produced by Keith Keller with assists by Jim Dickinson and Rene Coman. With so many gems to choose from, selecting favorite tracks on this recording is a difficult endeavor. “Bad Apples” is what could best be described as a celebration of low life, white trash family misbehavior with an added pinch of lighthearted child abuse. “Somedays Coming” is an up-tempo discourse on the inevitability of death with the protagonist acting defiantly in denial of Judgment Day kicking God in the shins for good measure on the way. “Blurry” is the closest facsimile to a radio-friendly single, featuring a breathtaking mid-song bridge leading to a soaring finale. Despite having a reputation for delivering incendiary live performances, some of the very best tracks here are quiet spare ballads including the ethereal “Way Up Yonder in New Orleans” and the hauntingly unforgettable “Long, Tall, Cool.” The final track, “Mr. Corn,” features guest artist and now permanent bassist Matt Perrine on tuba and some of McMurray’s most unforgettable lyrics.
The only misgivings anyone could have with this recording is that in the interim between their debut release and this recording McMurray has written so many extraordinary songs that they could not possibly fit them all on to this CD. It is also unfortunate that the packaging does not contain a lyric sheet as lines as memorable as, “they want to see me in the rectory for shooting skeet in church, all the wine did I drink up and the robes did I besmirch,” deserve to see the light of day on the printed page.
Greyhound Afternoons is a recording that stands up to obsessive repeated listening and is deeply rewarding in a way that serious fans and even casual listeners can’t help but notice in this era of lowest common denominator tastes and decreased artistic expectations.
