Tod A.’s cigarette-induced rasp and wickedly sarcastic lyrics are always good for a few laughs. Firewater’s fourth album, The Man on the Burning Tightrope, occasionally revisits the festive, Middle-Eastern romps and seedy, lounge-like grooves of their past. The new and most frequent destination, though, is an end-of-the-line, carnival. Twisted pipe organs, shaky xylophones and oompah beats create a treacherous, Tom-Waits-like world. Contemporary rock pops up occasionally, but it’s not as fun as the period pieces. With 2001’s Psychopharmacology they successfully progressed into a modern sound, but Tightrope brings back some of that irresistible kitsch.

- Dave Powers
(As posted 6/23/03 on 3wk.com)