Mystical Fish (Mountain Apple Company, 2006)

Although he may not be a household name to those outside of the Hawaiian music scene, Brother Noland has been a leader in the island industry for decades.  In fact, he's often credited with creating the Hawaiian reggae, or "Jawaiian," sound.  As with much of the music that has followed in his footsteps, Noland's is an easygoing, light reggae sound punctuated by strumming acoustic guitars and a tropical vibe.  His engaging, peace-love-and-unity personality comes through the speakers with bubbly energy and a penchant for sing-along choruses epitomized by "Backfire," "Mercy Mercy," and the buoyant ska track "RU Native."  Tracks like "Sun Daddy," "Feel Like You Free," and "Sweet Lovin Sounds..." meanwhile seem like the type of lovers rock-meets-strummy folk/light rock-with-an-island-twist that may appeal to fans of Jack Johnson (or perhaps Sugar Ray on a good day).  The biggest complaint that can be made about Mystic Fish is that there are perhaps too many covers.  Four out of the 11 (and 4 of the last 6) tracks are remakes: Bob Marley's "Easy Skankin," Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster," Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" (although I think he's using the lyrics with which Rod Stewart struck gold), and "Slow It Down," which Inner Circle previously recorded on their Bad to the Bone set.  It's a testament to Brother Noland's writing that the remakes are actually the weakest part of this album; he just doesn't sound as at home with them as he does with his own material (certainly, Marley, Wonder, and Dylan are big names to follow).  Still, those of you looking for a breezy good time, Mystical Fish should fit the bill.