“Running on Empty”
Borrison Ivy
(Borrison Ivy)
It has been a more than four years since Australian-born songwriter-guitarist Richard Barber introduced himself with his first Borrison Ivy project, “Just Another Office Job.” This is his follow-up, and, title notwithstanding, when it comes to music Barber is far from “empty.” His first album was solid mainstream rock, and so is this one. It’s a project Hawaii can be proud to claim.
The title song is one of several within which Barber expresses feelings of alienation in concise and compelling terms. They’ll speak for many people who feel like hapless observers of others’ happiness, and for those for whom relationships turn out to be worse than being alone.
“She’s kissing your neck while she’s taking everything from you,” go the lyrics on “Prisoner in Paradise.” There’s another memorable turn of phrase in “Just One Bite”: Barber describes a woman as “my favorite hand-me-down that I just can’t throw away.” It isn’t the type of sentiment that’s found on Valentine’s cards, but it sounds true to life.
Four years after “Office Job,” Barber has a new roster of musicians around him: Mick Fattorosi (drums), Roger Keppen (lead vocals), Ed Ortiz (guitars) and Collin Pitts (backing vocals). They’re an excellent team across several styles of mainstream rock.
“Running on Empty” closes with a great “don’t try this in real life” party song. “Only Happy When I’m Drunk” speaks for all the crazy young men who aren’t done drinking at 3:30 a.m. and who would “fight the cops, but I can’t even stand. … I’m lying on my back and the room keeps spinning.”
Give Barber extra credit for including his song lyrics in the liner notes!
Visit borrisonivy.com.
“Love’s Heretic”
Tantra
(no label)
Female hip-hop artists are scarce in Hawaii. That makes this first album by Hawaii resident Tantra (aka Tantra Grillo), one half of the “The Power Morning Show” on Honolulu radio station Power 104.3, particularly noteworthy.
Tantra covers subjects and emotions that range from love and philosophy to the perspectives of a “gangsta” psychopath. She also gets into what Ice-T calls “sex nasty” with a cut titled “Swag Juice.”
She opens with a song titled “Love Responsibly” and closes with the song that gives the CD its name. Both of them explore the complexities of male-female relationships and the endless struggles that come with them. Tantra steps outside hip-hop with “Harvest Moon,” a ballad she coos softly with only guitarist Calvin Canha for accompaniment.
A song titled “222” also shows off Tantra’s softer side as she speaks of her hopes for her younger sister. “Blue Sky” proclaims that she is still growing but finding “happy right here” and “becoming one with what’s above me.”
Hawaii’s hip-hop community didn’t put out enough new recordings last year for there to be a separate category for hip-hop at the 2016 Hoku Awards. “Love’s Heretic” is an impressive step toward resurrecting the category.
Visit emceetranta.com.
