Island Mele John Berger

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"For the Kids"

Olivia
Self-release

Moshing for Jesus? Olivia steps forward with high-energy Christian rock that offers the possibility of a healthy aerobic workout, as well as spiritual insight and inspiration. Bassist Reed Cromwell is the primary voice of the quartet. Guitarists Justin Abilla and Gabe Watts add backing harmonies and drummer Christian Perreira completes the rhythm section.

Composers' credits aren't included, but the lyricist has a knack for arresting phrases. "Teach me how to hate ..." grabs the ear as the opening lyric of one song. The images generated by the phrase "Darkness shines through me ..." is memorable in another. Olivia has more to offer than standard expository statements of Christian faith, and their musicianship transcends genre categories. In short, these guys rock!

oliviatheband@aol.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Troy's Bucket" "Tracers" "Mission Impossible" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Kori Kuni"

Kori Kuni
Hi-Risk Productions

Island pop singer Kori Kuni introduces herself to the listening public, with support from producer Guy Paredes and his Hi-Risk ohana. Paredes et al back her on an assortment of tunes that range in style from Jawaiian to old-style, hapa-haole music. Light, semi-acoustic arrangements and Kuni's appealing voice are the common denominator.

Her songwriting addresses such popular topics of surfing, sexual encounters and dysfunctional relationships. Her lyrics should flow better once she masters the basics of rhythm, rhyme and meter, but the asymmetrical approach works on "Never Know," suggestive in conveying an awkward personal relationship.

A remake of the doo-wop classic "Sh-Boom" adds little to the Chords' oft-covered original, but the time-tested lyrics, Kuni's voice and Paredes' arrangement will likely make it the hit off her album.

hirisk2000@hotmail.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "I Really Do" "Sh-boom" "Lovely" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Reggae Hits"

Butch Helemano & The Players of Instruments
Kana'i

Butch Helemano was recording original reggae several years before the dawn of the Jawaiian era. His minimalist approach generally consisted of a rudimentary melody over a simple beat, as he addressed topics ranging from surfing to the stress of paying alimony. Helemano was one of the few who understood the relationship between Rastafarianism and Judeo- Christian scripture. He also never posed as a "kanakafarian" and refused for years to record remakes of other artists' old hits.

This two-CD, best-of anthology contains 26 songs compiled from his many albums. No information is provided on their origin, beyond the fact that Helemano wrote all but one. While his integrity has stopped him from changing his style to suit today's Jawaiian market (resulting in him no longer being a major presence in local reggae music), this anthology may appeal to folks who remember his glory days.

bhelemano@aol.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Joshua" "Top Ya World" "Wave Rider" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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See the Columnists section for some past reviews.

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. Contact John Berger at jberger@starbulletin.com.