CD Reviews: Hope Mayo and Na Palapalai
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Hope Mayo
End of the Day
(Uprise Music)
On debut End of the Day, singer/songwriter Hope Mayo serves up a solid collection of blues-y folk originals. The sound is light and sweet, the lyrics earnest, and Mayo’s voice imparts fizz even to such lines as, “Roses are red, violets are blue; Baby, I just called to say I love you.” It’s all relatively straightforward stuff, but if you dig relaxing tunes in the style of Norah Jones, Mayo is worth checking out.
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Na Palapalai
Nanea
(Punahele Productions)
Nā Palapalai is down one member since its last album, but remaining duo Kehau Tamure and Kuana Torres Kahele are still hitting the high notes as well as ever. The basic formula hasn’t changed much for this release, either— original compositions featuring high-energy, Hawaiian-language falsetto harmonizing—although guest Martin Pahinui adds some hapa-haole flavor to “Analani E.” All in all, it seems that two heads can be just as good as three.
