Album Review - The Malibooz: Living Water
by Phil Dirt
(Four Stars)
I usually don't review vocal material at all, both because this is an instrumental surf site, and because there's not much of the trad harmony genre that I like at all. The Malibooz are the exception, and with this most unusual album, it seems appropriate to let you know about this fine CD. Just to be clear, there are no instros here. All 12 tracks are really well recorded vocals.
This is the first surf concept album, a celebration of the the aqua basin, the fluid birth mother of life on earth. In some respects, this is like a mass, and in others it's like very high quality surf vocal pop, and in all respects it pays homage to the water.
Almost religious in it's sound and feel, these tracks display a real sense of honest and humble awe towards the sea. You can feel the pure emotional worship in their voices and playing. It is a religious CD, but unlike many such releases, it does not put off the average Joe open to contemplating mysteries of life. The most deeply felt tracks are the ones about the sea itself, and how magical it is to interact with the waves.
This is a real work of art, a labor of love. Beautiful harmonies, delicate balances between sounds and textures, and extremely clear recordings. This CD demands that you sit and listen in a quiet place, and reflect on the wonder of the sea
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