New Turntable Films: “Honolulu”

This is not the first time Turntable Films have been infatuated with the Rainbow State. On their 10 Days Plus One album from 2011, the then-quartet wrote a song called “Hawaii” that was a lazy appreciation of beach-bum rock. It was slow, full of whistling and could have been a Jack Johnson jam in another life. It, like most of the album, felt a little too content (a problem fixed on last year’s still excellent Yellow Yesterday). Fittingly, as the now-trio have grown musically, their return to Hawaii ends up sounding a lot better. “Honolulu” certainly retains the tropical flavor of “Hawaii” – the same touch that made it too obvious a song, like Sufjan Stevens doing the soundtrack to an in-flight magazine – yet balances out with some unpredictable elements. There is a country twang here, Turntable Films embracing the band they’ve become over the past few years (a folk-pop outfit) and not giving that up for novelty (though we still get bongos). Yet what really pushes “Honolulu” forward is also what made Yellow Yesterday…especially “Animals Olives”…such a blast. “Honolulu” also has a psychedelic side, one where the guitars aren’t afraid to trail off a bit and make this one sound more exciting. Listen below.