Hanaiali‘i reimagines classics on new album

"Chardonnay"
Amy Hanaiali’i
(Ua Records)

Imaginative arrangements of "Waiting in Vain" and "Cry Me a River" are standout numbers on this new album by Amy Hanaiali’i. Anyone listening to "Waiting in Vain" for the first time — Hanaiali’i interprets it as wistful urban pop — would never suspect it had been written and recorded first by Bob Marley. "Cry Me a River " is a pop standard that has been done countless times since Julie London had the original hit with it in 1955. Hanaiali’i and producer Michael Ruff approach it with new insight.

Many of the other songs have a sophisticated country feel — think Nashville in tuxedos and designer gowns rather than redneck women and good ol’ boys in pickup trucks. "I Would Have Stayed" is the most memorable, with its story of a woman who walked out of a troubled relationship because the man she loved didn’t ask her to stay.

As with Hanaiali’i’s recent albums, this one showcases her range from traditional leo kiekie (Hawaiian falsetto) to sophisticated pop. The one glaring oversight is the lack of credits acknowledging the writers and composers whose songs Hanaiali’i sings so well.

Visit amyhanaialiigilliom.com.