After more than a decade of independent releases and self-financed tours, its safe to say that Glossary wont be joining the Drive-By Truckers as big-time leaders of the country-rock movement. For those whove managed to stumble across central Tennessees best-kept secret, though, albums like Feral Fire are fine examples of Southern rock shot through with bar-band abandon, twang, and ruminations on life, love, and lust in a small town. The lineup has changed considerably since 1998, when Southern by the Grace of Location introduced Glossary as contemporaries of Centro-Matic and Lucero. Frontman Joey Kneiser is still in the drivers seat, and he steers the bands sound like Patterson Hoods younger brother — not as interested in southern folklore, perhaps, but just as focused on the characters that inhabit the region. Like the title suggests, Feral Fire is full of muscled, guitar-heavy rock songs, most of them spinning stories of heartbroken narrators and hungover mornings. But the real highlight here — the one that makes Feral Fire one of the bands best albums yet — is a stunning ballad named The Sweet Forever, proof that Glossary don’t need decibels to make an impression. – Andrew Leahey
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