Andy Allo: The Sweet & Lowdown

Newcomer Andy Allo hails from Cameroon, West Africa with her guitar as her companion and a charming sound she says has been influenced by real musical royalty such as Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, Hip-Hop’s spacey duo OutKast and even the late King of Pop himself – Michael Jackson. She’s quickly stepping into her own, however, with a brand new genre she affectionately calls “Alter.Hip.Soul” – a self-made concoction carrying the weight of alternative, Hip Hop and soul undertones, but for now, we’ll just call each of the 12 tracks found on UnFresh, Andy’s official debut purely feel good music.

Having been making music as well as performing live with her band for just under a year, Andy Allo is poised to become one of the industry’s breakthrough artists if she retains the momentum set forth by her debut offering. Released independently this past fall, UnFresh features a girl with grit, spunk and a style all her own. Though it hasn’t been long, the cool chemistry between Andy and her band plus their oscillating ode to Hip Hop’s golden children The Fugees among others (check out the breezy opening number “Fly Away” featuring The Tones to see what we mean) is what makes this group of musicians so unique. Taking that kind of daring musical approach and blending it with strong lyrical content draws first-time listeners in with ease. It’s not too far out there nor is it so familiar that you’re too comfortable and taking it for granted.

UnFresh lacks one thing though – that surefire hit many new artists need to make their mark. Filled with mostly lazy Sunday afternoon tunes or those sweet joints some of us like to ride to on those long vacations and car drives, UnFresh does boast a few must-haves. Check out the title cut (which falls halfway through the album’s full sequence) with its atmospheric string and funky vocal arrangements. Coupled with a few monotone bars by a guest emcee known as Flave and Andy’s swift transition between rhythm, rhyme and rhetoric, “UnFresh” is actually a clean take on the future of soul/Hip Hop fusion and is definitely a tune you’ll bob your head to all day long.  There’s also the stripped down “Knew You At All,” a brave acoustic tale about a former love and the symphonic samples strutting through the funky “Dreamland” (featuring guest artist Blu) like a Disney movie soundtrack. If you’re gearing up for something left field, you won’t find that pinch of alternative you might be looking for. Instead, UnFresh adds to the mix a few stellar choices to keep Andy out of the one-hit wonder category for quite some time.

All at once sincere, passionate, beautiful and liberating, Andy Allo’s subtle sound and writing skills on UnFresh are remarkably refreshing. It only adds to the mix that she’s undeniably striking with that captivating smile and unforgettable “girl next door” energy. Easily placing her in the league of guitar-strumming and soul-singing sisters Vivian Green, Corinne Bailey Rae, Laura Izibor and Alice Smith, this record launches the promising career of a new starlet whose full potential has yet to be fully introduced to the world.

To learn more about Andy Allo, visit www.andyallo.com. Twitter: www.twitter.com/andyallo

By Terron D. Austin

Terron D. Austin is a contributing editor and music writer currently residing in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Photography Jesse Vasquez | Makeup Artist Melody Mora