They’re being called a supergroup, but Operation Aloha doesn’t carry the odor of a manager-brainstormed corporate rock merger, like, say, Damn Yankees; instead, it sounds like a bunch of guys dicking around between trips to the beach – which is appropriate, because that’s exactly how Operation Aloha came together. Sprung from a month-long vacation to a “treehouse compound” in Maui, Aloha loosely strings together contributions from a staggering 14-member crew whose members count Maroon 5, Phantom Planet, and Gomez among their respective day gigs, and the music is relaxed to a fault – though hooks occasionally poke through the mellow haze, for the most part, the album consists of perfectly pleasant sketches that sound like they might be on their way to becoming songs at some point. Not the type of record that’s going to grab you right away, in other words (or maybe not at all) – but given enough spins, it starts to feel awfully comfortable, like an old, patchouli-drenched poncho at a beachside campfire. It’s ultimately a little bit like a 21st-century version of the Traveling Wilburys – without the songs, mind you, but with more than enough charm to get by. (Operation Aloha 2009)
