The Iguanas

June 13 - June 20, 1 9 9 6

**1/2 The Iguanas

SUPER BALL

(Margaritaville)

Despite their rep, the Iguanas are more than just a good New Orleans bar band. Although they embrace the Crescent City's Creole past with everything from zydeco shuffle to rock-and-roll stomp, they also have a handle on other Caribbean-derived styles, with Latin grooves from norteño to cumbia. What's more, their lyrics often serve up a bracing dose of modern realism that's beyond the pale of any small-time act. Whether singing about the hard-working life of underclass women or the night someone lifted the tires off their buddy's Cadillac, they keep their narratives spare and their details literal, all in step with their smooth, danceable music.

The band's low-key style may underscore their quotidian ambitions, but it also undercuts their ability to carry off a full set. On their third consistent album in a row, the problem seems more daunting than ever. Their music is so laid back, it inevitably becomes part of the background. Still, they'll soon have enough pretty good albums to put together a pretty great compilation. Then watch people put down their beers and head for the stage.

-- Franklin Soults