Havili

The seventh album from Te Vaka doesn't bring any huge surprises, but then it doesn't need to. They've honed their South Pacific sound into a beautiful art, with warm harmonies, plenty of passion, and the log drums under it all (the didgeridoo under "Lug Ma Lalo" adds some real primal earthiness to the track. But so much depends on the percussion, and that receives a proper workout on "Vevela." Much of the album stands as a reminder of just how good a songwriter bandleader Opetaia Foa'i is, and his skills have developed over the years. He creates infectious melodies, and even if you can't sing along in his language, you can certainly hum and tap your feet. There's a very tribal feel to the call and response on "Logo Te Pate," for instance. At heart they're an acoustic band, but there's strong electricity in the sounds they make, the vocals mixed bright and upfront to take advantage of the massed voices. Their aim has always been to make music for the South Pacific, and on Havili they've done exactly that, on their own terms.