Arlo is the kind of band that can get an entire bar screaming and drinking along to their old-fashioned and never self-conscious dirty rock. They play music that can drive with enough force to knock you out, though they seem way too busy hanging out to ever bother with cranking it up that hard. With influences that seem to range from
the Rolling Stones to today's alt-country,
Arlo create mid-paced, feel-good tunes with pop sensibilities and plenty of carefree and in-your-face attitude. Singers Nate Greely and Sean Spillane manage to do a great job with everything from falsetto backup vocals to straight-ahead crooning, compelling harmonies, and perfect melodies, all of which do a fine job of complementing their gravelly guitar riffs. There is nothing particularly groundbreaking on this record, but its simplicity is one of its greatest assets. The songs roll into one another without bothering to sound artsy, and it all manages to come together and form a solid 12-track set that never attempts to be anything it's not. Up High in the Sky doesn't even really contain any stand out tracks in so much as it works best when the entire package is considered as one. This is really a good old-fashioned drinking record that should appeal to anyone who likes either rock & roll or beer. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo