Although he has been active for over a decade in the Chicago music scene, most notably as a member of popular mid-'80s outfit Buffalo Trout, Al Rose has never released a solo album before Information Overload. That's a shame, because although not every cut on this 15-track disc is a winner, most of the tunes on this self-described "soulful, country, dada gospel" collection are engaging and fun, and illustrative of Rose's quirky style of songwriting.

An ode to airplane-crash etiquette titled, appropriately enough, "We're Going Down," is one of the early tracks that offers evidence of Rose's skewed view of life (and death), while "Slice Of Life" addresses the trials and tribulations of day-to-day existence, singing of the daily grind that continues "Til there's no more nose left to place firmly against the stone." All of the other original compositions on the release offer similar off-kilter viewpoints, creatively delivered by Rose's rough-and-tumble voice in a variety of musical styles ranging from rock and country to reggae and soul.

There are two cover tunes included on the package - Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth" and the country standard "Long Black Veil" - which don't add a whole lot to the overall mix, but in the end, like any rose, Information Overload smells (or rather, sounds) awfully sweet.