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"Kona Town" Pepper |
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If you took all of the elements brought together in a band like Puya, with all of their islander influences and meringue-styled salsa-flavored speed Rock and simply substituted Puerto Rico for Hawaii, there you have in a nutshell "Kona Town," the newest offering from Kona's own Pepper. Upon hearing "The Good Thing" for the first time I was reminded of those by gone days laying waste to time and space near the shore of Venice watching the tide flow in and the rhythms fade out. Their nativity's worth mentioning over and again simply because who do you ever hear of coming from Hawaii not known for surfing or… tourism? Pepper, small town heroes to boot, well so we'll assume, they landed a record deal for God's sake, but rightfully so, their style's not as severe as a Puya thus not as "elemental" but when they plug in and let it wail, the effects are equally impacting. "Stone Love," and "Dry Spell" back to back feature their Reggae-gone-Punk-gone-for-a-swim style, a gentle breeze before the swiftness of "Face Plant," pure skate-Punk with a ska-flavor and friendly hook in spite of its "no friends at all" verses. "B.O.O.T.'s" got one firmly planted in your rear end of choice, slow and easy Rock riding a casual surf and sand baseline, while "Give It Up" catches a little of the Blink vibe, and for fatherly reference, Joe Jackson never sounded better. Pepper's big on the island sound, mellow and soothing, playing often at an inebriated pace, happily strolling along, casual, occasionally discontented… cheerfully discontented! They're an acquired taste like Corona Light, better with lime, but drinkable nonetheless, just not in large quantities. These guys could use more of an emotional infusion that scores standouts like "Dry Spell" or "Face Plant," mentioned earlier, yet they should go over well with the beachcombing clam-bakers looking for a reason to light up this summer. Released by Volcom Entertainment Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] P.O. Box 20252
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