Kolea displays
couple of good ideasNo Ka Ohana: Kolea (ICK Productions)
KOLEA'S debut album has roughly enough good ideas for a strong 4-song single. The quartet sings Hawaiian falsetto quite well, and "Ka'auhuhu Homestead" is an appealing glimpse of someone's childhood. Unfortunately, there's no telling if Kolea wrote it since ICK Productions failed to include composers' credits. ICK provides no translations on the Hawaiian language songs either.
Blending Jawaiian rhythms and doo wop singing offers an imaginative fresh take on Jerry Butler's 1960 hit, "He Don't Love You," but the rest of the pop chart remakes are no better than generic. Paul Anka isn't credited as composer of "Diana" but he sang it with far more intensity and emotion back in 1957 than Kolea manages. Junior-grade baby luau treatments of "The Twist" and "Lodi" aren't any better and are incorrectly titled as well. "Ten Feet Away," also mistitled, is another blot; country music has more feeling than this!
Along the Road: The Anguay Sisters (Quiet Storm ) CD single
ZOE Anguay starred in Army Community Theatre's fall production of "Grease." She's now taking a tentative step as a recording artist singing an obscure Dan Fogelberg song with three of her sisters. The result is a pleasant piece of soft pop with synthetic effects lightly embellished by Kevin Saito's work on ukulele. The song could become a high school graduation theme since the lyrics are inspirational but don't mention the Lord.
Ukulele Boy: 'Elua Kane (Hula) cassette single
DAMIEN Farden (guitar) and Tau Grieg (acoustic bass) evoke the spirit of old time hapa-haole music with this original from their new album. The harmonizing is smooth; the arrangement impeccably acoustic. Ukulele virtuoso Troy Fernandez guests in the title role.
Against The Stars: The Dambuilders (EastWest/Elektra)
HONOLULU'S Dambuilders recorded their debut album, "A Young Person's Guide," in 1989, released it on a German label, and left Hawaii for Boston shortly afterwards. This is the third EastWest/Elektra album for Punahou grads Eric Masunaga and Dave Derby. All the songs are originals. Several are catchy and commercial Top 10 quality with striking lyrics.
"Break Up With Your Boyfriend," Burn This Bridge" "You Might Want Me Around" and "You'll Never Know" are the brightest facets in this alternative power pop celebration. The spirit of the '89 'group is intact. They're now a local music footnote but proof again Hawaii can spawn world class rock bands.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.
John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Home Zone
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
