"He Inoa"
Maunalua
(Lokahi)

Orson Welles became famous late in life for the advertising slogan, "We will sell no wine before its time." That same principle can be said to apply to Mau­na­lua. "He Inoa" is the first album released by the trio — Uncle Bobby Mode­row Jr., Kahi Kao­nohi and Richard Gideon — in eight years, but it lives up to the expectations set by Mau­na­lua’s three previous albums in all respects.

"He Inoa" is the group’s first album with Gideon on board, and he fits in perfectly. Anyone who hasn’t seen Mau­na­lua perform in recent years need only hear the first song on the album, "Mau­na­lua He Inoa," to rest assured on that.

A medley of "Hilo One" and "Hula o Makee" is the first of several fine showcase numbers for Mode­row’s falsetto, and "‘Ohai Kea­loha" is a third instant favorite. The trio does a beautiful job with it, vocally and instrumentally. Their falsetto vocalizing is spotlighted in "Ku‘u Pua Mae­‘ole," and "He Puna­hele No ‘Oe" shows the guys can harmonize beautifully in their lower-register voices as well.

Moderow’s ki hoalu (slack key) is as crisp and clean as ever, Kao­nohi has a short but well-deserved bass solo on "Nani" and Gideon gets a moment to jam on ukulele. Steel guitarist Casey Olsen is a studio guest on several numbers, heightening the old-time ambience of each of them.

Although Maunalua is rightly known for its arrangements of Hawaiian standards, the trio introduces a hapa haole song written by Mode­row. "Spirit of Hawai‘i" expresses his love of the islands in terms everyone can relate to.

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:"Island Vibrations"
Various artists
(TH Productions)

Thomson Palakiko Enos broke out big with Typical Hawaiians in 1999 and kept the reggae trio going in the years that followed. This compilation is his debut as a producer. Mainstream Afro-Caribbean rhythms and polished studio production values tie the 18 songs together into a solid and unified package.

Contributors include Jamin "Chief Ragga" Wong, a member of Ho‘ai­kane during that group’s remarkable evolution from "kanaka­fari­an" Jawaiian copycats to imaginative island music innovators; O-Shen, known for unique blending of Jamaican, American, Hawaiian and Melanesian music; and Caleb "Da Reddeye" Richards of Sudden Rush.

All three of these music scene veterans do memorable work here, and several other contributors stand out. In "Imua Hawai‘i," Kalei Kahale­wai calls on Hawaiians to respect one another, respect the past and get an education.

There’s an element of unintended irony when Marty Dread uses standard Afro-Caribbean rhythms to deliver a message about the importance of preserving Hawaiian culture, and, yes, some of the other artists Enos included perpetuate the faux-rasta and imitation-Jamaican accents that have been part of Jawaiian/"island music" since the late 1980s.

Enos doesn’t mention how many of these songs were recorded for release on this compilation, but one of the most memorable, "Aloha Summer Time," was first released by Typical Hawaiians as a music video and CD in 2013. Another highlight selection, "Primo Beer Song," has been around awhile and is an excellent commercial for the island-brewed beer.

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"Tim Rose"
Tim Rose
(Tim Rose)

Singer-songwriter Tim Rose introduced himself with a five-song CD, "Extended Play," in 2011. This is his first full-length album. The lyrics reaffirm his range as an insightful writer on an assortment of subjects. The instrumental arrangements position him as a contemporary pop artist — a little bit rock, a little bit bluesy.

Rose opens with "Be Myself," a songwriter’s message to himself about the importance of not allowing other people to define him. Other songs stand out for their lyrics’ insights into human behavior. "Say One Thing" calls out people — politicians, "model chicks" — who say they’re going to do one thing but then do another. (Rose admits in the final verses that he sometimes does it, as well.)

With "Good to Be Bad" he reveals some of the things men may be thinking while talking to a woman. Other songs describe the torment of addiction and the pain of failed relationships.

Remakes of other artists’ hits often fall short. Rose comes up with something fresh with an edgier rhythm arrangement of the Buffalo Springfield hit "For What It’s Worth."

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