Orange Swirl is a very cool Melodic Pop-Rock project by guitar virtuoso Andy Timmons. And if you've followed Andy's career like me, this seems like a logical step; he's been all over the instrumental guitar genre with Ear X-tacy and The Spoken and the Unspoken, he's tackled blues and southern-Rock with Pawn Kings, and he's been all over Melodic Hard Rock with his former (and current) outfit Danger Danger.

With Orange Swirl, Andy pays homage to some of his influences such as The Beatles and Elvis Costello. I must say that this album is very Beatlesque (Revolver era), with a bit of a modern touch and some great instrumentation and soloing. When you listen to the opening riffs of "Please Come Home" and the sound of Andy's voice, which is surprisingly Lennonesque, you can't help but think that this will be an excellent listening experience. The album also reminded me of Enuff Z'Nuff, which is not surprising, given the common background and influences.

Once again, Andy tackles all the guitar work in fiery fashion. Now, in a Pop-Rock album, guitar solos usually take a back seat to the song, but not in this one. The solos are not as extended as in Andy's other albums, but they complement the songs perfectly while remaining inventive and emotional, the markings of a great songwriter. Tracks like "Love is a Shame" (MetalGod's Pick) and "In His Arms" totally feature Andy at his best -- these songs should be all over radio!! Andy also plays Bass and experiments with other instruments like the Electric Sitar ("State of Mind"), the E-Bow ("Please Come Home"), and Percussion ("Call My Name"). Upbeat rockers like "Nothing You Can Do" and "Wherever You Go" are featured as well. Overall, the songs are very catchy and good, as is the production which is handled by Timmons.

There are also a couple of surprises, like the song "Now That You've Been Gone" which features String Arrangement by Kip Winger. Another surprise is Andy's phenomenal cover of The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home" that closes the album. It's an obscure cover, and the cool thing about it is that the song was originally sung by Paul McCartney, but Andy's vocals sound a lot like John Lennon. So imagine Lennon singing it, and you're there! Ear candy, baby!!

While this is not full-ledged Shred, it contains some great soloing, solid instrumentation, and excellent music. I really enjoyed this record and recommend it highly.

Reviewed by MetalGod

Visit the Orange Swirl Website at www.orangeswirl.com

To buy the CD, visit the Andy Timmons Website at www.andytimmons.com