The Thieves of Kailua

Thirty seconds into Jason Holstrom's new island-pop-masterpiece, and you're on vacation. In the opener, melodic surf guitar and whip cracks punctuate a tribal beat under a bouncing bed of ukuleles and angelic vocal harmonies—and the stage is set for a half-hour adventure that is completely different from anything else you'll find in music today.

Holstrom is well known as a founding member of Seattle standouts U.S.E. and Wonderful. He is also active recording other artists; recent credits include the new Aqueduct and Dolour albums. Over the course of two years, Holstrom set out to capture the older sound of Hawaii, referencing traditional production techniques and diving into the catalogs of '60s pop, Hawaiian, and calypso stars. He then single-handedly created a richly textured pop concept album, with massive layering of sound and spirit.