His creations reflect the Island experience, with the titles telling the tale — "Goin' Upcountry," "Hana Highway Slack Key," "Ke Kai Malie," "Lullaby for My Tutu." East meets West on "Itoshi No Kimi Ni," a West original composed for his sweetheart, with nuances and seasonings from Japan that blend very gently and effectively in the Hawaiian-Japanese soundscape.

Of the covers, "Akaka Falls" and "Ku'u Lei 'Awapuhi" are particularly prolific, and like others who put their slack-key imprint on non-Hawaiian entities, West's "Imagine" (the John Lennon fave) is both nostalgic and relevant — a means to expand the ki ho'alu appeal and popularity beyond the customary Hawaiian perimeters.

"Star" is about the yearning that comes with searching and reaching for goals; "Don't Be Afraid" gets into the blues mode and deals with facing challenges; "Sailin' Around" has that nostalgic spirit of yesteryear with dance-ready tempos; "Waialua Sky" is a remake of the Brian Robertshaw-Bonnie Gearheart classic originally popularized by The Krush and has emerged as a much-played radio hit on the Big Island, with Yamanoha's vocal imprint favoring a subtle blues posture that shapes the oldie into a "new" song.

The title track is introductory in the sense that it establishes the combo's vibes and perimeters, with a soul undercurrent. "Infatuated" is one of those sweet love rockaballads; "True" has a slight country flavor with a lingering melodic imprint — the kind of ditty that a group like Kalapana might have concocted; "After the Tone" is an intriguing offering about telephone ring-tone anticipation and it could be a Gomega giant, with right support and exposure.

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