Globetrotting ukulele star
Jake Shimabukuro continues to display his mastery of the instrument with
Travels, his first studio LP since 2012's unlikely
Alan Parsons/
Kip Winger collaboration, Grand Ukulele. Where that album rolled and swelled with lush orchestrations,
Travels offers a wider variety of
Shimabukuro's different musical styles. A mix of thoughtful, classically minded original pieces, warm-hearted island tunes from his native Hawaii, and the oddball pop covers that initially launched him into the YouTube-assisted international spotlight,
Travels eschews dramatic orchestrations in favor of a tight rhythm section on many of its tracks. As entertaining as it is to hear him pick his way through
War's funky "Low Rider" (complete with vocals) or the
Jackson 5 ballad "I'll Be There,"
Shimabukuro is still at his best nimbly working his way through more subtle fare like the gentle island favorite "Hi'ilawe," the three-part "Departure Suite," and the two dreamy "Interlude" numbers. ~ Timothy Monger