Wednesday, May 9: Blackfinger, “All the Leaves are Brown”
For better and worse, Eric Wagner can’t help but sound like himself. The man’s voice is so distinctly his, that even if the band he’s with is doing its own thing, the end result still sounds like some version of Trouble. And so it was with Blackfinger, who tried a more thoughtful approach, but “All the Leaves are Brown” still felt like an outtake from Trouble’s Def American years. That said, early ‘90s Trouble was pretty awesome, so the tune worked as a nice throwback to some of Wagner’s best work. Rico Bianchi and Douglas Hakes riffed like the doom merchants of yore, Ben Smith and Larry Piatz were a rumbling and tumbling rhythm section, and Wagner’s anguished howl remained undeniable. “All the Leaves are Brown” proved how timeless this sound was and still is, and even if it recalled the work of a more legendary band, it was still great to hear Wagner in his element.
