Eric Gilliom

Eric Gilliom's sophomore release is a good deal less idealistic and intellectual than his first was. It's also a bit of a compromise. He seems to have stifled his leanings toward old-school blues and rock, going instead for the musical style guaranteed to appeal the most to tourists. It's a style that countless other island artists before Gilliom have perfected: lilting, gentle, and oh-so-Hawaiian. He even brings in sister and island star Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom as a guest vocalist on "Aloha No Moloka'i." The resulting collection of songs is pretty but predictable. It could easily be played in a coffee shop or clothing store on Kauai, but it would never fly in a mainland rock club or even a blues bar. "Guiding Star" is a melodic, sentimental track, and "O Tahihi" is cool in a vaguely South African way, but "Beach Boys & Hula Girls" is unashamedly island kitsch, while the title track, "Like Chow Fun," makes you wonder exactly what Gilliom was thinking. It's easy enough to guess, though: Like many other Hawaiian musicians, he simply got tired of struggling with the difficult, competitive mainland music market and decided to go for the path of least resistance. ~ L. Katz, All Music Guide