The latest offering from the Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) entitled Roses & Clover, had piqued the interest in fans of Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records label upon its initial announcement, however upon pressing play you started to wonder if you somehow got stuck with one of those infernal Time Life: Soft Rock of the 70’s and 80’s compilations. Now the ALO record some really smooth country tinged tunes, but most feel generic and fail to leave much of an impression on the listener. The majority of the Brushfire roster has a relaxed easy-going surfer-dude charm about it, ALO feels like it is missing something. Their debut album Fly Between Falls showcased that very charm, Roses & Clover lacks that natural feel as it sounds slick and overproduced. This isn’t the first album I’d recommend from Brushfire Records, while pleasant and upbeat it isn’t as strong as Animal Liberation Orchestra are capable of.
About the author
Trev
A proud and over-caffeinated husband, father, runner and writer. I've written for the local weekly The Coast for over a decade and have since taken to creating and writing for HAFILAX for even longer. I hope you enjoy the musings of a guy who has loved music for the better part of 4 decades, and has an album of concert tickets to show for it.
