Island Mele

By John Berger

"Montage"

Forté
Afterthought Entertainment

This is the long-awaited comeback album by Forté, coming almost four years after their previous release. It is a triumph for the group and producers Jason Lent and élan of Afterthought Entertainment. Lent and élan wrote all the songs, worked out all the urban-style arrangements (including credible treatments of three pop chart remakes), parceled out the girls' vocal arrangements and then neatly inserted the group into the mixes.

The arrangements generally feature grooves rather than hooks, but several are as hot and commercial as songs currently on the national charts. Lyrics such as "if you want to be deep inside of me" repudiate the pop-lite ambiance of Forté's earlier work.

"Sweet Candy 9," "Straight Out" and "Boys vs. Men" are strong and commercial-sounding. Remakes of "Close to You" and "Don't Cry Out Loud" also reflect Afterthought's grasp of urban-R&B, but several sound bites and promo clips break the mood and the flow of an otherwise sophisticated presentation.

E-mail: info@afterthoughtmusic.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: Sweet Candy 9 Straight Out Close To You Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Solanna"

Solanna
Second City Entertainment

There are a few too many remakes on Solanna's second album, but it is still a fine showcase for a prolific writer whose Jawaiian originals make the Jawaiian remakes redundant. With luck, Hawaii's island music radio stations will give Solanna's reggae-beat originals a chance. "Take Me Down" is straight Jawaiian pop, and "What to Do" is equally Jawaiian, but with interesting bluesy undercurrents.

Solanna's insight as a writer is best appreciated on "One Night Stand," a smooth and wistful pop ballad, relating the emotional complications that ensue when friends became lovers for a night. Her vocal expressiveness makes her non-Jawaiian remakes of "Tender Years" and "The Longest Time" interesting as well.

www.solanna.net

Mpeg Audio Clips: What Love Has Joined Together Take Me Down One Night Stand Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Aloha"

The Mana'o Company and Friends
Dan-Pa Productions

It's inevitable as the anniversary of 9/11 approaches that earnest and/or publicity-hungry entertainers will pop up with their own tribute songs. This new CD single from the Mana'o Company, thankfully, isn't one of them. First, the Hoku-winning group and producer Dave Tucciarone are already headliners and don't need gimmicks to get heard. Second, sales proceeds will benefit the Hawaii Firefighters Association, local heroes worthy of support. And third, this is a beautiful rearrangement of a proven hit.

Producers Tucciarone and Danny Kennedy invited 12 of their entertainer friends to join the group on an acoustic version of Kennedy's Hoku-winning composition. Fiji, Keali'i Reichel, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom and Robi Kahakalau are among those whose voices add new textures to an already-great song. This version of "Aloha" makes it a song for all seasons.

Mpeg Audio Clips: Aloha Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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See Record Reviews for some 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 Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.