Under Review

Kaleb Hikelea

The Sun Harmonic (Independent)

Independent

Review by Florence Ng

Featuring graceful acoustics and the silky smooth voice of Kaleb Hikele, The Sun Harmonic is self-produced and worthy of praise due to its classic simplicity of song. This is mirrored by the monochromatic album cover with blank eclipse decor and ballpoint scribbled text. The album begins with “On a Blank Sheet,” a sleepy, acoustic guitar laden track where Hikele’s voice seems almost hybridized into the melody, personifying a languid, melancholic day on an empty beach. However, the next track, “Call Me a Witness,” feels like a sudden emergence from the water. Hikele’s voice, crisp and clear, overrides the tune to bring a whole new energy, like a splash of cold to pull you out of your slumber. The rest of the album is similar in this sense: a rollercoaster ride of cotton caresses and warm hugs to wake you up, ending with an almost-instrumental, which fittingly, is even sleepier than the opener. An amazing production, captured during seven hours of live recording, The Sun Harmonic will not disappoint its soft-hearted listeners.