Editor's note: Michael Bublé makes his Hawai'i debut with a concert tonight at the Blaisdell Concert Hall and Saturday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Here's a look at Bublé's debut album from 2003.

CD: "Michael Bublé" by Michael Bublé; Reprise Records

Released: Feb. 11, 2003

Style: Vocals

My take: Unlike most musical stars of this generation, Michael Bublé veered far away from the rap and rock genres on his road to fame. Instead, the Vancouver, B.C.-born crooner chose a more classic sound, one in the vein of Bobby Darin, Perry Como and Mel Torme.

Bublé first came to mainstream attention in 2003 with his self-titled album. Spanning 13 tracks of classic hits, it introduces him as not only a performer with a tremendous voice, but one with lots of self-assurance, too. Just listen to his cover of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Attempting a rendition of a song by Freddie Mercury, arguably the best front man in rock history, reeks of sheer confidence — and Bublé's talent allows him to do a good job.

In fact, Bublé does justice to many of the songs he chose for his first album. The selection of artists ranges from classic singers such as Paul Anka to more recent acts like George Michael. The only real low point here is Barry Gibb chiming in on the famous Bee Gees tune "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?" as his and Bublé's voices don't mesh at all. Also, a veteran singing on a cover of his own song makes the younger performer look weak.

On the contrary, Bublé is a strong singer in his own right. His range goes from a cool, collected playboy during "Sway" to a downtrodden old soul in "Put Your Head on My Shoulder." Bublé even outshines the original singers at times. His cover of "Moondance" by Van Morrison, the best song on the album, may be the best rendition ever.

The only red flag for Bublé here is that he uses Frank Sinatra — obviously his biggest influence — as a crutch more than he needs to. Bublé channels Ol' Blue Eyes' style and inflections unnecessarily at times. "Summer Wind," which he could have done fine on his own, is a good example. Also, several Sinatra songs are covered: "Come Fly With Me," "For Once in My Life" and "The Way You Look Tonight" (Bublé's version is slower and sultrier, conveying a different side of the song).

Since this album's release three years ago, Michael Bublé has gained celebrity status and a loyal, if not exactly enormous, fan base. It's nice to see that a genuine effort to stand out from the crowd has been welcomed with such open arms and ears. Let's hope Bublé has a career with many years left, and that some of the material here ends up on a greatest-hits CD.

Jeremy Castillo recently received his associate of arts degree from Windward Community College.