Opihi Pickers

Beginnings - Posted on 5/4/2002


I try not to read reviews of CDs till after I have written reviews of them myself-I don't like repeating what others say, so it was against my better judgment when I read the review of the Opihi Pickers newest album in the paper around the time it came out. Pretty much it only had good things to say about the group's newest album. After reading it I figured sure I'll buy it, I mean at the time I had only heard that Old Fashion Touch song like once, and it sounded ok.

Needless to say after I bought it I liked what I heard. The group has a great sounding mix and the vocals of Imua Garza and Kevin Okimoto are great. On the originality scale this album gets a 10 for having almost all of the songs being original and a lot of them being very good as well with Old Fashion Touch, Victim, Forever, and Falling For You leading the way. The instrumentals are simply phenomenal as well. Now I heard somebody tell me that, "He (Imua) can play anything with strings." After listening to this album I'd believe it, his instrumentals on Esperanza and Tempestad are great to say the least and he could probably hold his own with Ernie Cruz Jr. and Jake Shimabukuro. All in all a pretty darn good second album for the group and definitely worth picking up.