It might surprise you to discover that the Kingdom of Hawaii was ruled by a series of monarchs, most notably the Kamehameha and Kalākaua Dynasties. I visited one of these remaining Royal Palaces when I spent a week or so visiting this volcanic island State may years ago. The reason I say this is that you`d expect to hear mele oli and mele hula or ukulele driven music there but Maoli, Polynesia’s No. 1 independent commercial recording artist, releases a country tinged album this month with `Last Sip Of Summer`.
The upbeat `Damn Good Night` leads us in and the first thing that hits you is the rich texture of this singer`s vocal range. It`s a buoyant rallying cry to friends and all others as to the night ahead and all it entails and will leave you disappointed that you`re not part of the entourage gathered. There`s a more chugging reggae/country vibe to `In A Bar` which paints a picture of the narrators island life which includes some spiritual time out but his heart and home is really based in a saloon. Theres some delightful guitar riffs and pedal or steel guitar hues on this laid back rhythmic journey.
`Better Off On A Beach` has more country-reggae tinges and is almost rapped at times. A tale of days spent bumming around on the shoreline. A plucked banjo leads us into `Shotgun Rider` a reflective almost ballad like offering that will have waving arms and lit phones held aloft when this is shared in a stadium.
`Yours Truly` is a dreamy love song to that someone special in the storyteller`s life and a number that`ll have you tapping your foot to. There`s further contemplation with `Leaving Here Lonely` a heartbreaking ballad with a kind of redemptive conclusion.
Title track `Last Sip of Summer` has an almost breathless vocal consistency and at times shimmers reflecting the dying embers of Summer and possibly a romantic relationship. The strummed banjo, pulsed drumbeat and steel guitar added a further poignancy to this track. We have a dance floor filler in `I Know A Guy` which has country-reggae sensations at its heart.
`Lonely Wont Leave Me Alone` espouses a feeling of somebody forsaken or deserted by the love of their life. The heartache and pain shared is almost tangible in the vocal transfer. I felt there was a retro emotion and feel about `I Aint Crazy`, which brought to mind some of those classic country numbers from my own childhood.
`Broke Heart Break` is a number to sing along to and I can imagine the faithful joining in when shared live. The vocal harmonies were joyful. The final cut `Left Hand Heavy` is another love ode but this time it`s about committing to somebody long term, a lifetime union and alliance.
`Last Sip of Summer` has just the right mix of island reggae and country soul and arrives just in time for those few short hot summer days we enjoy here in the UK. It`s a delightfully uplifting melodic offering and you can`t help but like this woefully undiscovered artist.
Let Maoli quench and satisfy your musical thirst with his `Last Sip of Summer`
Rating 8.5/10
