Frogs Gone Fishin’

There’s just something about the name Frogs Gone Fishin’ that, well, kind of screams “jam band.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re hoping to take some folks on a “phishing” trip. But at the same time, it might keep others from actually giving you a fair shake. In the Frogs’ case, their sophomore effort, Actual Natural, has enough jam-based grooves like “Herb” and “Polar Bear” to reel in the jam set, and has enough rockers like “Don’t Blame…” and “Cage” to keep some other folks happy. There’s also a fair amount of southern funk, which isn’t surprising when you learn that a few guys in the band went to school in New Orleans and Nashville. Ultimately, the disc is a decent effort that straddles the rock and jam realms.