Island Mele John Berger

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"One Foot on Sand"

Justin Young
Tropical Music

Young's long-awaited Hawaiian album turns out to be one of the most impressive local releases of the year. The finely textured semiacoustic arrangements are a perfect match for Young's laid-back vocal style. An all-star roster of studio musicians and celebrity guests adds to his work without eclipsing his talent, and the album's balance of Hawaiian standards, pop remakes and originals couldn't be better.

Young isn't the first to rework "Big Yellow Taxi," but segueing into "Ka Manu" adds kaona (hidden meaning) that he reveals in his erudite liner notes. The title song, one of eight that he wrote or co-wrote, also says more than is immediately evident. Young's insights as an arranger result in a perfect-fit remake of "The Girl from Ipanema" as well.

www.tropicalmusichawaii.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Big Yellow Taxi"/"Ka Manu" "One Foot On Sand" "The Girl From Ipanema" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Stand Tall"

Kontiki
Kontiki

Few island groups can be more self-effacing than Kontiki. The trio acknowledges two guest singers but doesn't bother to identify them! Well, whoever they may be, one of the guys does an OK impression of reggae superstar Shaggy and several generic Jamaican characters as well.

The good news is that there are no covers here, and almost every song is perfect for local radio play. The songs run the gamut of stages found in relationships: the experience of trying to impress a woman ("Don't Play Dumb"), the joy of being in love ("I Got Someone") and the pain of a bad breakup ("Not in Love" and "Painful Memories"). The reggaefied title track is a requiem for someone's brother. The meaning of a song, performed in an unidentified Polynesian language, is not revealed.

"My Everything" adds a doleful love song to the collection.

www.kontikimusic.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Don't Play Dumb" "Hatred" "How Could I Get With You?" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"This Is My Paradise"

Augie Rey
Augie Rey Entertainment

Rey's second album is representative of the music he's been performing in Waikiki since the early 1970s. It includes Latin, pop standards, Top 40 hits and six originals. The synthesized string and horn keyboard effects give some songs a demo feel but might better capture the sound of what he does in Waikiki.

Rey delves into vintage pop with an enthusiastic medley of "Pennies from Heaven" and "Goody Goody," and delivers pleasing renditions of three Latin numbers. He relinquishes the vocal spot to his daughter, Tahiti Fernandez, on the Etta James classic "At Last" and she proves her appeal as a solo vocalist.

The album's title song is one of six originals. All are earnest efforts, but the awkwardly written lyrics provided by Rey's writing partner fall short of what he needs to make this album more than a souvenir to sell at his gigs.

www.augierey.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "This Is My Paradise" "Love Ain't Easy" "Mahalo, 4 The Sunshine Of Your Love" 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.