Brother Noland - Speaking Brown '2024

Tracks list

The year was 1980, and the influences of artists like The Sunday Manoa, Gabby
Pahinui, Olomana, and Keola and Kapono Beamer resonated throughout the islands
as they heralded a new sound of and for modern indigenous peoples, part of the
cultural revolution known as the Hawaiian Renaissance. On the other side of
1970s island life, bands like Kalapana, Country Comfort, and Cecilio & Kapono
were shaping a contemporary sonic identity for locals — indigenous and
otherwise — blending rock, soul, country, and jazz into a pleasant pop
blend that continues to inspire musicians today.

In the middle of it all was Brother Noland.

In a catalog that now spans more than 40 years, Speaking Brown is Brother
Noland’s magnum opus. Listen to the album in full, and you’ll
instinctively understand this as the songs unfold. The music — all
originals, save for “Haleakalā” and
“Manowaiopuna/Kō‘ula” — melds Hawaiian music with
contemporary styling, but not in the way that The Sunday Manoa or the Beamer
Brothers had done in the previous decade. Close comparisons are Chucky Boy
Chock’s folksy explorations of Hawaiian music on his Oahu Brand and Brown
Co. Vol 1 albums, and Nohelani Cypriano’s 1979 debut LP, which married
Hawaiian instruments with modern genres. Cypriano’s effort was much more
pop-centric than Noland’s; her recordings nod to current and past eras
(like Motown and hapa-haole), whereas with Speaking Brown each song is
place-based or in tribute to a loved one, a typical quality of Hawaiian mele.
The album grew from modern and ancestral Hawaiian identities, and from Aloha
‘Āina, the love and respect for Hawai‘i, its land and its
people, which remains a core belief Brother Noland practices to this day.

The album opens with an original arrangement of “Haleakalā Hula”,
composed by Alice Nāmakelua. The first 30 seconds of the song indicate how
Brother Noland does things: the rocking rhythm and disco syndrum propel the
layered guitars and vocal harmonies into a fusion of old Hawaiian music with
modern day attitude. Sung in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, as a listener you
might think you know what to expect herein, but so far it’s unlike
anything you’ve heard. This is the way Brother Noland does things:
familiar, but different.

The “hits” on Speaking Brown were limited to “Pua Lane”,
which today remains a staple in Noland’s live performances, and
“Pueo, Tara and Me”, which is currently part of Hawaiian
Airlines’ in-flight music video programming. Both songs, coincidentally,
represent Noland’s upbringing: in the urban projects of Palama Settlement
in Honolulu, and among the rolling hills of Waimea on Hawai‘i Island.
Another cut, “Look What They’ve Done”, would’ve made
an impact if not for local radio stations banning it, fearful of repercussions
from broadcasting its criticism of development of Hawaii’s iconic (read:
“profitable”) tourist destination, Waikīkī. But Noland
wasn’t looking to make hits or political statements — he wanted to
make an album. Noland recognized the need to have recordings of his own so that
he could stand alongside his industry peers.

By the time “Kawaihae” kicks in on the B-side, the album has gently
woven itself into your heart and soul, its roots reaching to the soil, sky and
sea, its vision looking to past, present and future. But you have to let this
happen. There’s no hurry on Speaking Brown; you need to be present to
understand its power. Like the gradual unfolding of a morning at Haleakalā,
it’s not possible to look just at the sunrise — you inherently
take in the mountain’s magnificent shadow, which stretches across the
cloud layers, the small towns below, the majestic sea surrounding Maui, the
infinite horizon.

In a time of impossibly short attention spans, Speaking Brown might get
overlooked. We hope that instead of celebrating this album simply for the cuts
that eventually became Brother Noland's biggest hits, listeners can enjoy
Speaking Brown for what it is: a whole greater than the sum of its parts; a
cornerstone of Brother Noland’s life’s work; and one of the most
innovative albums of modern day Hawai‘i, which has shaped contemporary
island music in a way that’s familiar, but different. 

Tracklist:
1.01 - Brother Noland - HALEAKALÃ (3:11) 
1.02 - Brother Noland - THE PUEO, TARA AND ME (4:47) 
1.03 - Brother Noland - GOOD MORNING, HALE'IWA (2:22) 
1.04 - Brother Noland - NU'UANU WALK (4:35) 
1.05 - Brother Noland - MAN OF THE ISLAND (3:51) 
1.06 - Brother Noland - KAWAIHAE (4:07) 
1.07 - Brother Noland - MANOWAIOPUNA/KŌ'ULA (3:27) 
1.08 - Brother Noland - PUA LANE (4:16) 
1.09 - Brother Noland - LALANAPUNANI (3:53) 
1.10 - Brother Noland - LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE (4:14)

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