Fiji, of course, has been a one-man music industry himself; he and Boog co-authored nearly all the material here, and Fiji's vocal and arrangement savvy shine, with solid results. "Aye OK" opens with a soft, melodious intro belying the hip-hop motif; "Here I Am" is smooth and chic; and "Until One Day" also has an understated reggae backbeat overshadowed by Boog's considerable vocal style. There are several love ditties that give the disc a distinctive stamp that separates him from others of the genre.

Alas, the liner provides song credits but precious few details on thoughts behind the melodies — such as, who did what in the Fiji-Boog collaboration?

The disc was released last Thanksgiving, an appropriate time for reflection — and, in the case of the family — remembering.

Surely, you know some of the family members. Bernadette (now Hamada) was a TV reporter who, with twin sis Tess, created originals for this album. The most notable sibling is Angela Perez Baraquio Grey, the former Miss Hawaii who became Miss America in 2001, who is featured on "Living for You," a tune specifically about the family loss, for which she did lyrics.

The kin also includes John, who produced the album and wrote the title track (as well as "It's Hard Til It's Easy"), plus chirpers Gloria, Rose Herman, Jerome, Lucy and Cecilia.

They take turns singing lead and harmonies, so there's a nice balance of sisterly and brotherly voices. Bernadette's original, "All I Ask Is Peace," is sung by Rose. The song may have global implications about the war, but the theme is personal, not international. Tinufuloa Grey, Angela's spouse and a member of the group Reign, contributes vocally and instrumentally — and why not? He's part of the 'ohana.

This self-produced (by Rosa) disc reflects both the strengths and shortcomings of Koa'uka. Clearly, the music is not the issue; tunes such as "A Simple Gesture," "Beautiful Stranger," "I Can Be the Guy" and "Wish We Never Met" reflect variation within the reggae form, with solid vocal and instrumental zest. But the honing of what should be essentials of issuing a disc — composers, lyrics, even brief liner bios of the performers — is sorely lacking. Can't assume everyone knows everything about Koa'uka; better to provide than ignore.