The sound has roots in the past but includes today's mana'o, so there's a splendid feel-good element. Just tune in to "E Maui E" with that charismatic vocal harmony and spirited strumming that depicts, in Hawaiian, the trickster nature of Maui.

"Holunape," a composition by Clarence Kinney, becomes the group's name song — literally, swaying and waving; the version here is lively and luminous, boosted by rich harmonies and an infectious arrangement.

There are hula riches galore — "Ka'ena," "Na Mele Paniolo," "Lanikuhonua." And a falsetto treatment of "Ua Like No A Like" is abundantly charming.

Add attractive packaging, with the requisite lyric book with translations, and you've got one winnah.

The cover closeup of the Hawai'i Theatre marquee — is quite apropos; Holunape headlined a concert last Friday.

His topics provide fodder for contemplation. "Living Off the 'Aina" is a good example, detailing the rituals of making a livelihood by planting taro, getting hapai, fishing and hunting, living off the land. It's like he's chewing the fat with his 'ohana and sharing woes of making ends meet — all with a gentle reggae tempo.

Similarly, "Stuck in Traffic Again" is a lament that makes the irritable tolerable — if you sing about it, it won't be as bad as you think. You wake up, you hit the road — after all, the new car won't be yours for much longer.

Ryan's hope lies in the lyrics, which express sentiments that touch many nerves; his melo-dies are secondary. Too bad the words aren't part of his liner offerings.

His repertoire won't get much airplay in Honolulu. However, theatrical types might examine his choices: The title tune is one of those idiosyncratic bits that might work in a sophisticated cabaret show; and standards such as "When Sunny Gets Blue" and "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" would please a discriminating listener. But hey, he's put his vocal imprint on "All the Man That I Need," a composition by my pal, Dean Pitchford (and Michael Gore, his lyricist), and that's a highlight for these ears.

And bravo, Callaway's notations explain why his selections are relevant to his look on love.