Editor's note: Ooklah the Moc performs at 10:30 tonight at Haleiwa Joe's in Hale'iwa. It's for those 21 and older.

CD: "Rearrange Your Positive" by Ooklah the Moc; Ghetto Circus Records

Release: 2004

Style: Reggae

My take: With the staggering (and growing) number of reggae bands populating the local scene, it's sometimes hard to tell any two apart when judging solely by sound. The one standout is Ooklah the Moc.

Originating from Palolo Valley, the nine-piece band messes around with less-than-pure reggae music. Artists such as Black Uhuru, Burning Spear and, most obviously, Steel Pulse heavily influence Ooklah. As a result, the instrument work is straight roots, the lyrics straight Rastafarian.

And Ooklah's Ras Bird LaPierre and Micky Huihui deliver some of the cleanest and most pleasant vocals out there. The lyrics blend pidgin and Hawaiian words, almost creating a new language. The band never ventures into the awful Jawaiian genre, nor does it devote whole songs to smoking marijuana — a stereotype started by misinterpretations by reggae's critics and perpetuated by less-creative modern bands.

In fact, Ooklah's strongest material comes from its instrumental tracks, most notably "Arena Rock." Aptly titled, the song isn't for the studio, where it sounds nearly suffocated. It's obviously meant to be performed and listened to live.

Lyrically, the band makes big shifts from romance to religion most often. For each song like "Lovers Rock" and "You Light" (both highlighted by Huihui's excellent voice), there's a "The Box" or "Hell Fire" as balance.

Of course, no real reggae album would be complete without some social commentary. Here, it comes via "Hot Hawaiian Nights," a musical call to arms for the sovereign people; and "Concrete Vibes," the lyricist's take on the downfalls of a hard-knocks life: "Some of my brethren/they just couldn't take it/and they pollute themselves/down in parking lots/Some of my sistren/they just couldn't take it/so they sellin' themselves/down in parking lots."

Every song here is great, making "Rearrange Your Positive" a fun listen and a solid investment for any music fan. Ooklah has a big enough sound, strong enough lyrics and more than enough talent to become big stars. Their tours on the Mainland are helping to spread the word as well.

Unfortunately, Hawai'i bands don't have a great track record of success outside the Islands, and with no big demand for reggae, the chances of a mainstream break may be slim. But whether or not fame is in the cards, local audiences will hopefully get to enjoy Ooklah for a very long time.

Jeremy Castillo is a student at Windward Community College and editor of the college's newspaper, Ka 'Ohana.