Animal Logic showed some promise on its debut album, but the trio was suffering a bit of a sophomore slump on the follow-up,
Animal Logic II. Collectively, former
Police drummer
Stewart Copeland, ex-
Return to Forever bassist
Stanley Clarke, and singer
Deborah Holland still had an appealing sound; what they lacked in 1991 was a consistently strong album to go with it. This isn't to say that
Animal Logic II is a bad album; "In the Garden," "Stone in My Shoe," and the haunting "Through a Window" are decent songs. But it's an uneven album, and it falls short of what one would expect from a group boasting graduates of
Return to Forever and
the Police. When musicians of
Clarke and
Copeland's caliber are under the same roof, you expect more than competence -- you expect consistent excellence. Although
Animal Logic II has its moments, it's best to skip this release and choose the trio's first album instead. ~ Alex Henderson