Aloha

It's an ironic achievement that this, Aloha's most aggregate collection in their nine-year history, comes after members of the one-time Cleveland quartet scattered hundreds of miles apart. While informed by the jazz underpinning of Aloha's past efforts, there's no unnecessary flourish -- the songs are stripped bare. Plunky marimba and Wurlitzer replace the wash of vibraphone, giving room to the subtlety of the songwriting. "Between the Walls" moves from a delicate opening to a cowbell-banging, Wings-esque triumph, making it the record's best.