Album Review of
Road Trip

Written by Robert Silverstein
May 24, 2021 - 12:54am EDT
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Seattle WA-based King Of Hawaii is making waves on the Century 21 Surf-Rock front with Road Trip. The ten-track CD, only the band’s third release since 1998, and first full length CD since 1998, Road Trip features a wide range of instrumental guitar-centric tracks and the genre is is easily perceived with its very authentic 1960s era guitar sounds. With Road Trip, King Of Hawaii already getting accolades from the Euro-press for being surf-rock in the Shadows tradition as played by American musicians. Mark Klebeck and Dave Dysart turn in excellent performances intertwining their rhythm and leads on electric guitars. Also here are Dana Dysart (keys), Leo Raymundo (bass) and John Bishop (drums), while several guest artists appear, including pedal steel guitarist John Bohlinger, featured on three tracks. Recorded during the 2020 shutdown, Road Trip succeeds and promises to become a long-time favorite among long time surf-rock fans. Moving and grooving in the footsteps of great Pacific Northwest icons like The Ventures, The Sonics, The Kingsmen to Jimi Hendrix and the fabled Pacific NW rock /surf scene of the 1960s and ‘90s, King Of Hawaii blasts instrumental rock into the now.