Andy Allo - Unfresh (2009) (Review)

Andy Allo

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http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/AndyAllo/from/crizik

Do not let the title Unfresh fool you: throughout her self-released debut, Andy Allo injects a distinctive breath of urban music fresh air. Her laid-back soulful style -- free of instrumental clutter - is buoyed by a confident attitude that consistently works. The Cameroon born, San Francisco resident has been full of fresh ideas even before she picked up her first guitar. Her goal of being sincerely €˜unfresh' is to create music that sounds beautiful regardless of genre.

"Dreamland" has drawn attention on several internet blogs. The song, taken loosely from "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," has one foot in hip-hop and another in dreamy string orchestrations. "Stalker" is full of catchy broken beats despite the song's obvious subject matter. And Allo's cool commentary on the troubled economy in "Fly Away" is a throwback to the hip-hop collective Arrested Development's style, effectively meshing rap and laid back funk.

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Do not let the title Unfresh fool you: throughout her self-released debut, Andy Allo injects a distinctive breath of urban music fresh air. Her laid-back soulful style -- free of instrumental clutter - is buoyed by a confident attitude that consistently works. The Cameroon born, San Francisco resident has been full of fresh ideas even before she picked up her first guitar. Her goal of being sincerely €˜unfresh' is to create music that sounds beautiful regardless of genre.

"Dreamland" has drawn attention on several internet blogs. The song, taken loosely from "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," has one foot in hip-hop and another in dreamy string orchestrations. "Stalker" is full of catchy broken beats despite the song's obvious subject matter. And Allo's cool commentary on the troubled economy in "Fly Away" is a throwback to the hip-hop collective Arrested Development's style, effectively meshing rap and laid back funk. These are just some of the tracks on Unfresh that prove Allo is another fresh voice to look out for in today's soul music market.

Other Notable Tracks: "I Want Love" & "Knew You At All"

Vocals: 3.0 stars
Lyrics: 4.0 stars
Music: 3.5 stars
Production: 3.0 stars
SoulTracks Call: Recommended

By Peggy Oliver