L.E.O. Reviewed
L.E.O.
Alpalcas Orgling
(Cheap Lullaby)
Note the anagram: ELO-ish pop by supergroup of Hansons, Bleu, Jellyfish, Black Crowes, and Papas Fritas.
Utterly undiluted and loaded with sugar, Alpalcas Orgling might have bad timing with the onslaught of legit Electric Light Orchestra reissues coming out, though its kaleidoscopic Beatle visions are no less impressive (actually what’s most impressive is ELO did this before the advent of digital). Assembled by William James McAuley III (aka Bleu), L.E.O. the band includes Jellyfish’s Andy Sturmer, That Thing You Do theme co-writer Mike Voila, Papas Fritas’ founder Tony Goddess, Self auteur Matt Mahaffey, Chicago’s Jason Scheff, singer-songwriter Paula Kelly (whose girlish turn on “The Ol’ College Try” steals the track), Hanson, and Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman. It sparked after producer Rick Rubin relayed to McAuley how Jeff Lynne used to record, and quickly got out of hand. Artistically Alpalcas could be seen as commentary on how ridiculously attainable old sounds have become, but as a record it’s a celebration of Jeff Lynne’s unheralded legacy, often lost in the gauzy, coked-out ’70s when rock lost the way.
— Steve Forstneger
