Sweet Aloha

Christina “Sweet Beets” Boyden’s Sweet Aloha is an irresistible folksy mix of Maui rainbows and Nashville-like twang. A longtime DJ who settled in Hawaii, Boyden filled her first full-length project with meaningful and memorable songs by virtue of a deep-rooted positivity, a lack of pretension and a lilting voice that exudes childlike-innocence. Supporting the original songs is The Kind Hearted, a band composed of players from the David Nelson Band and Moonalice, including bassist Pete Sears, lead guitarist Barry Sless, drummer John Molo and accordionist/keyboardist Mookie Siegel. Sless’ fingerpicking, in particular, weaves magical acoustic melodies that tie together the material and provide the album’s continuity. On the title track, Boyden paints an enticing scene of her life on Maui: “I love sunshine on my face, blue skies, rainbows in my eyes/Maybe a turtle or two swimming next to me/I love to surf in the deep blue sea/And now I love how you’re here with me.” Available via cdbaby.com, Amazon and iTunes.