SLIM BAWB LIVE!

5 out of 5 stars

Slim Bawb chalks up another winner

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026

Slim Bawb – Ain’t No Fun (Swampgrass Records, April 2026)

Since the dawn of the 21st century or thereabouts, Slim Bawb, the pioneering purveyor of the swampedelic sound, has dished out a dozen unforgettable albums and this time with his band The Fabulous Stumpgrinders, raises the proverbial bar to the nosebleed level.

“Ain’t No Fun” boasts the same line-up as 2023’s “Big Ears For That,” with longtime collaborator Lil’ Howard Yeargen multi-tasking on the accordion, keyboards and vocals, and drummer, vocalist, multi-other-instrumentalist and master mix/masterer Gabe Wilson rounding out the core trio.

“Let the Ghost Go” advises listeners to rid themselves of whatever haunts them from the past, while the music flows ethereally like an (occupied?) sheet in the wind before the song concludes with an unexpected twist to a New Orleans standard, “Hey Swampy Way.”

“Queen of Mean” will make any abused husband feel better about his batterer. The narrative unfolds to an accordion-enhanced, syncopated beat about the myriad ways the narrator’s lesser half dispenses her diabolical doings. He laments, “I can’t live with you, but I’m too scared to leave,” while also noting that “It’s your way or the highway and nothing in between.”

“One Man Band” is the only cover song on the album, written by Bo Ely, Bawb’s longtime friend who played harmonica on two of his earlier albums. The moving ballad presents a convincing portrayal of a lonely traveling musician who’s “seen a lot of sin” while trying to do better but keeps waking up “beside that same old bottle of gin.”

“The Big Easy” bounces to a well-oiled groove thanks to Bawb’s slide guitar and Lil’ Howard’s fluid accordion with Gabe pounding out a steady New Orleans-style drumbeat. It’s a love song for the city that makes you “wanna spend a whole week there in just one night.” The line about “blowing a hurricane through a plastic straw” creates an intriguing visual, but don’t get near the other end of that straw!

“King of the Barroom Fiddlers” is the epic tale of a local music legend who surrenders his throne because he “couldn’t stop drinking his Crown.” The song fades with a fiddle solo by Michael Doucet that punctuates the King’s poor choices in life.

“Dashboard Ducks” is a Lil’ Howard song featuring wacky lyrics and rhythm embellished with Bawb’s slippery slide guitar and Howard’s duck call. Lil’ Howard shares the vocals, recounting his affinity for the tacky car decorations that he procured from sources including his mother and the recurring Cheap-o-Rama shows.

“Unhandyman” is the emphatic declaration that Bawb is no fix-it guy. He claims the money-wise option to repair a leak is to hire a plumber and advises to never open the car hood ‘cause he don’t know what’s in there. To further make his point, the bluesy tune concludes with a crashing racket of tools and parts.

“He Don’t Talk About That,” recalls Bawb’s dad as an enthusiastic and colorful conversationalist who would talk about anything but always remained steadfastly mum about his military experiences during the Korean War. The song ends with a sample of the late Bob Sr. displaying his yodeling talents.

“88/40 Blues” is an uptempo retooling of a song that Bawb previously recorded for his 2011 masterpiece, “Boo Dan,” about a doomed soul who drinks 40’s and carries a 45, gets a piano lesson from Professor Longhair before he died and takes his newfound skill to endless bars before biting the big one himself. Bawb and Lil’ Howard co-sing the cautionary lyrics, divulging that “he was once a rich man, now he’s doghouse poor,’’ which often leads to malt liquor-related fatalities.

Bawb leads the charge on the pickin’-packed title track, the only time a banjo appears on the album according to the sleeveless (digital) notes. As he enumerates the ups and downs, the good and bad points in his life, he offers the sage advice to “be the hunter not the hunted / be the do-er not the done / ‘cause it ain’t no fun when the rabbit’s got the gun.”

“When the Rabbit’s Got the Gun” completes that wise adage and concludes the album. This one-minute psychedelic excursion allows the ever-innovative Lil’ Howard an opportunity to whip out and employ a few more items from his musical toolbox in the form of a hurdy gurdy, accordion case and a shovel.

Once again Slim Bawb and his Fabulous Stumpgrinders pull out the stops to deliver an entertaining set of finely crafted songs performed with the precision and expertise that comes from a lifetime immersed in music. And after repeatedly indulging in this album, be sure to check out the rest of Bawb’s extraordinary catalog.

Steve Cagle

Host, Blues Spectrum

KVMR Community Radio

Nevada City, California