Aloha to Aloha’s new LP
Published Jan. 29, 2008
In the Hawaiian language, the word “aloha” means affection, love, peace and compassion, and this is exactly what Aloha, the four-member band from Ohio, is about.
“Light Works,” the band’s new LP, is filled with seven soothing pop songs. Even though Aloha decided to take a different approach with this new opus by building their songs upon simpler acoustic guitars and not numerous instruments, they still illustrate a striking inventiveness for non-traditional arrangements and instrumentation.
With its naive pop aspects, “Light Works” can be listened to from morning to evening.
The joyful opening song “Body Buzz” is more than perfect to wake up in the morning and face the roughness of winter; full of catchy, tenacious keyboards, this appealing melody will assuredly cheer you up. The seven-minute “Equinox,” which completes the album on a peaceful note of minimal percussions, drums and guitars, is ideal for falling asleep.
Aloha doesn’t intend to revolutionize pop music. As singer Tony Cavallario expresses on the band’s MySpace page, the band’s desire is to introduce the public to their “little world.”
And this new album might indeed be the best introduction to their music since the band’s previous releases required several listens to be fully appreciated.
The album’s artwork, conceived by artists Daniel Danger and Jake Kelly, also expresses this idea of another world. For half an hour, you climb their tree and emerge into another world where luminous pop played on acoustic guitars is king.
But it is difficult not to notice some of the weaker tunes. The percussion on the song “Broken Light” is extremely repetitive and insipid.
Another reproach that could be made about this album is the simplicity of some lyrics, especially the ones of “Broken Light.” Accepting their status as an eco-friendly band, Aloha sings about global warming, and their CD is cased with 100 percent recycled materials.
The songs are not all about controversial issues but also deal with relationships. This album remains an interesting evolution in the band’s career.
Cavallario’s voice sounds more plaintive than it used to, but it brings a greater depth and an odd melancholy to this record. “Trick Spring,” in which the simplicity of the instrumentation is in perfect harmony with Cavallario’s vocals, is a very good example of this melancholy.
Aloha seems to belong to that pop-band family that amazes audiences from everywhere with sublime arrangements and soft songs never devoid of nostalgia.
And Aloha’s music reminds, in some aspects, of Death Cab for Cutie’s great "Transatlanticism."
If Aloha continues in this path, it may achieve equal or even bigger success. And fortunately, we will still have “Light Works” to warm us up during the upcoming cold months.