Review / 200 Words Or Less
ORSO
Ask Your Neighbor

Contraphonic (2008) — Sean K.

ORSO – Ask Your Neighbor cover artwork
ORSO – Ask Your Neighbor — Contraphonic, 2008

One man project by Portland's Phil Spirito, who evidently has a lot of musician friends that helped out with this recording. Sparse, subtle arrangements are the norm for this outing. If I had a dream about this record, I would think it is either Tom Waits or Neil Young crashing an Alan Lomax recording session. Apparently there is such a thing as a tenor banjo. Who knew?

5.5 / 10 — Sean K. • December 21, 2008

ORSO – Ask Your Neighbor cover artwork
ORSO – Ask Your Neighbor — Contraphonic, 2008

Related features

Horse Torso

One Question Interviews • May 2, 2018

Recently-posted album reviews

​Pressure Set

​Pressure Set
Dr Strange Records (2026)

Punk rock has never needed complexity to make an impact. Sometimes, all it takes is a handful of riffs, a relentless rhythm section, and enough attitude to make the whole thing stick. Pressure Set understands that formula, but rather than simply recycling it, the band coats it in layers of filthy fuzz, garage-rock swagger, and an unexpectedly sharp melodic sensibility. … Read more

Blood & Sun

Aion's Light
Nordvis (2026)

The trajectory of Blood & Sun has been one of natural evolution. Starting off from rough demos, the project of Luke Tromiczak slowly became something more immersive and complete. The compositions grew richer, the songwriting more nuanced, and the production cleaner. However, the creative process does not necessarily have to be about looking forward and evolving, and in fact at … Read more

The Loved Ones

LATEST HITS!
Lovemonk Records, SofaBurn (2026)

I'll admit, when I first saw a new album from The Loved Ones land in my inbox, I got pretty excited. Being a fan of the Philadelphia punk band fronted by Dave Hause, I thought I was about to hear something I hadn't expected. Unfortunately, these weren't the Loved Ones I was looking for. However, what I discovered instead was … Read more