Haleiwa,
Pura Vida dude
[Friends of Mine]
Reviewed by: Cooper Foyt
Haleiwa is the mostly solo project of Swedish artist Mikko Singh who moves the bedroom pop aesthetic out of its recent laptop haunt and into something more natural sounding. Singh employs a myriad of exotic analog instruments including the balalaika, harmonium, and sitar along with guitars, bells, marimbas, and acoustic bass. Haleiwa refers to a city located on the north shore of a Hawaiian island and the music that Singh makes is appropriately tropical and breezy.
Pura Vida dude has a similar feel to American Analog Set’s Know by Heart sans the electronic instruments. Each song feels laid back and straight forwards, more interested in creating an overall atmosphere than pulling any punches or gimmicks. While it could easily be put into a possibly non-existent “Adult Contemporary Indie” genre, the album never quite feels that one dimensional. Or maybe that it doesn’t feel like it has any pretenses to be more than it is. Sticking to something minimal, most songs have a similar mix in the production; prominent guitars and percussion with a background fleshed out by organs, sitars, and the occasional audio sample of birds chirping or waves crashing on a beach. With only a few songs breaking this general mold, Pura Vida dude might not have the legs of something more diverse but few that do switch things up show a lot of potential.
The lush “Observatorielunden” seems to be what Haleiwa is capable of when pushing their sound to their fullest extent. A rambling bass and driving beat push the song into an almost frantic pace by Haleiwa standards before a sheening sitar and hushed gang vocals flood into the song. The pure euphoria I felt the first time I heard the song made the album a worthy listen. Singh’s voice is immediately welcoming and has a pleasant nature that I’d place somewhere between Jason Lytle at his most whispering and Kevin Drew. I wouldn’t say his voice is as powerful as either of these, but it’s certainly good enough and finds a comfortable place amongst each song.
“West of the Pacific” kicks off a section towards the end of the album which I found to be the most enjoyable. Sounding a bit like something that could’ve come from The Shins’ Wincing the Night Away or a slow motion take on Dan Deacon’s “Big Milk”, sleepy bell tones ripple and bounce off each other over a lightly plucked guitar. It’s a refreshing change of pace in the albums flow that also cleanses the palette for the playful “Corcovado”. The childlike sound that comes from the marimbas sound almost like a mobile hanging over a child’s crib, and the second half would make the best montage of kids exploring a wooded area.
Rounding out the section is “Pilgrim” which has a Sigur Ros type of widescreen scope to it with little subtleties nestled in the background. When the song slows down for the uplifting delivery of “I see you, my Lord, in everything” the persistent nature of the organs and sitars make a lot more sense. It’s not an album influenced by any one religious thought, but by the common threads of appreciating beautiful creations across all cultures. Sure, it may not be the most engaging or daring album of the year, but you’d have to be a little bit of an asshole to hate Pura Vida dude’s simple escapism.
Rating: 75%