AMG Review of Ask the Fish

Brian Beatty
All Music Guide

Among the better second generation of jam bands, Leftover Salmon has made their odorous and fishy name playing energetic live sets that highlight their "polyethnic Cajun slamgrass" aesthetic. This first live album goes a long way toward explaining the band's popularity with a growing fan base. Skillfully hopping from genre to genre, often within a single song, the band plays with the muscle that a lot of noodling jam bands lack. There's also an ever-present sense of humor -- part Holy Modal Rounders, part John Hartford, part ~MAD magazine -- that's as fractured as the band's good-time hippie sound. Standout tracks include the extended title tune, the bluegrass standard "Reuben's Train," a reggae-fied "When the Levee Breaks," and the Caribbean-flavored "Jokester." A fun introduction to a bunch of Colorado boys who sound like they're having a great time doing things their own weird way.