Poi Dog Pondering was always a band better appreciated in a live context, its albums never quite capturing the excitement of the group's rock/folk/pop/world music stew. The reason is simple: like other fun jam bands such as
Phish,
Aquarium Rescue Unit and the like,
Poi Dog never really mastered the art of writing concise, radio-friendly songs, preferring to let their tight grooves and polyrhythmic percussion beds carry the music. Unfortunately, in the case of what is, at its core, a rock band, this approach often makes for somewhat lackluster records, and
Volo Volo is no exception. Interestingly,
Poi Dog Pondering here seems to be attempting a move into a more pop-oriented direction, sounding at times like a bizarre meeting between
Santana,
the Meters,
Wham!, and
Simple Minds. While the group deserves an "A" for effort, without the glue of catchy songwriting to hold the disparate elements together, the mix never really works that well. In fact, the best "songs" on the album are not really songs at all, but new-agey instrumental pieces ("Endtrance" and "Entrance"). That said, there is certainly enough variety throughout to keep one's attention, from the New Orleans-style soul of "Be the One" to the stadium rock guitar wall of "Blood and Thunder." In the end though,
Volo Volo is sadly a case of too much talent, not enough focus. ~ Pemberton Roach