MTV Online/Reviews

HOKU
Hoku
(Geffen/Interscope/A&M)


Hoku's name may mean "star" in Hawaiian, but in the pop world it's synonymous with cute -- which is only a bad thing if you're looking for music with depth of meaning and breadth of style. On her effervescent self-titled debut, the 17-year-old daughter of Hawaii's lounge king Don "Tiny Bubbles" Ho runs an emotional gamut from A to C. Even at her most melancholy ("Just Enough," "Every Time") she remains comfortably glum, and her occasional fits of temper translate into boppy, danceable retorts like "Another Dumb Blonde."

The two most substantial tracks make an impact for opposite reasons. The overstated "Nothing in this World" is a lavish production number complete with an orchestra, a choir, opulent production, and Hoku's lightly forlorn vocals. Though she does whip up some drama with her singing, Hoku's still got a way to go before she can get anywhere near the enchanted land of Diva-dom. (She generates more warmth than Christina Aguilera, but the Genie queen could knock the wind out of poor Hoku with her pipes.) It's the big time theatrics of the arrangement framing her voice that gives "Nothing in this World" its umph.

Conversely, the closing track "You First Believed" hits home with a less-is-more approach. The gentle, acoustic ode to God is the only song written, performed, and produced by Hoku, and as such it's the most convincing number on the album. Her voice conveys a certain subdued charm and even her rudimentary guitar picking is effective because it's a reflection of her strongest quality (at least at this point in her career), which is a relentlessly sunny disposition. As teen fodder goes, this album is sweet as candy and safe as milk.

— Sandy Masuo