By Mike Fordham

The calendar may say its only April, but the perfect summer album is already here. For your upcoming beach party, backyard barbecue or car trip, throw on ALO’s Fly Between Falls an album chock full of laid-back folk funk that’s perfect for the lazy days of summer.

ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) may remind listeners heavily of another summertime favorite, Jack Johnson.

The group was friends with Johnson during their time at UC-Santa Barbara, and are signed to his Brushfire label.

ALO also has the acoustic surfer vibe down as well, but adds an upbeat funk element with plenty of playful instrumentation.

This re-release of Fly Between Falls includes the newly added “Walls Of Jericho,” and while the song doesn’t add much to the album, the rest of the release is still enjoyable.

Opener “Spectrum” sets the album’s tone with its light, easy-going sensibility.

“Girl I Wanna Lay You Down” shares similar traits and includes some background vocals from Johnson.

“Wasting Time,” an ode to the band’s college town, beautifully captures the collegiate essence of slacking and sinning via a lazy bass line and relaxed delivery.

One of the best tracks on the album is “BBQ,” which starts off with more of the same acoustic jammy folk, but takes a sharp turn to a funky, disco-like dance number.

Fly Between Falls could use more surprises and shifts like this.

In the way of shifts, “Shapeshifter” fizzles due to its meandering lyrics and piano grooves.

For as much respect as ALO has gathered in the jamband community, the group presents some lackadaisical jams (as with “The Gardner”).

Only “Waiting For Jaden” (about vocalist Zach Gill’s daughter) contains some playful improvisation, which shows what ALO is truly capable of.

If you’re looking for an album to take it easy to or a companion to the season, Fly Between Falls is a great option.