Normil Hawaiians Get Reissue Treatment

One of the great things about the wealth of information at our fingertips, to me, has to be the discovery of acts long ago forgotten. And Upset the Rhythm, having already reissued More Wealth Than Money have opted to follow up that album by re-issuing What’s Going On, the 1984 album from Normil Hawaiians. This track, like the album, is just this sonic exploration pulled off in post punk fashion. It begins with what almost sounds like looped tapes, something we’re all familiar with by now…just before the guitar begins to ring through your speakers in that angular stomp. Vocalist Guy Smith enters the frame, wailing on the high (and is that a whistle?); it’s working in complete contrast with the propulsive rhythm section, yet it’s all tied tightly together. Later bits of the song get these little stabbing riffs cutting through the vibe, and then bam, we’re done. This is an intoxicating introduction to a group I knew little about.