★★★★★
An album of surf rock from the Hawaiian fusion duo Hapa. The album is largely new material done in the surf style, but there are covers here, too, on which Hapa always excels. The album opens with a short bit of theme music for the Axel and Barneldo characters taken on by Flanagan and Kaneali'i to set the mood, and moves into the classic "Walk Don't Run...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-26
★★★★★
Thanks to a large selection of Hawaiian and country tunes, along with non-holiday love songs like Chris DeBurgh's "Lady in Red," Hapa's Holidays stands out from the seasonal pack. Even the predictable choices ("Joy to the World," "The Christmas Song") don't sound traditional, which makes this an interesting choice for listeners who want a Christmas record that is off the beaten path.
- music.aol.com
2008-08-26
★★★★★
The latest release from the fusionary Hawaiian group Hapa. This album sticks to some degree more to the traditional Hawaiian sounds that the group has become known for. There is less interplay with rock, essentially. The compositions are largely original works this time through, primarily penned by Barry Flanagan. The album starts out with a few numbers, alternating between instrumental and vocal tracks. The first track, Pu'uanahulu," goes back and forth from Hawaiian to English...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-26
★★★★★
Hapa, a duo consisting of Honolulu native Keli'i Kaneali'i and New Jersey's own Barry Flanagan, teamed up to release In the Name of Love in 1997, taking its title from the U2 song (which is also featured on the album as a cover). Also covered is Carlos Santana's "Europa," which works quite well for a basic acoustic guitar type of sound, when performed properly. On the album there are more or less two styles of music that emerge...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-26
★★★★★
The duo known as Hapa got a perfect start to their career with their self-titled first album. Here are the pretty vocal harmonies and lush, twanging guitar sound everyone expects from Hawaiian music; here also is extraordinary instrumental prowess and a pair of singers who are impressive individual talents. The Hapa album is in fact a tour de force of harmonies, both vocal and instrumental...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-26