Product Review

Formed in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii by Kaleo Wassman, Bret Bollinger and Yesod Williams, the now California-based trio relied on their long-time friendship and creative partnership to self-produce (their first time) and record ''Ohana'' in their newly established Kona Inn Recording Studio in Redondo Beach (former studio home to Pennywise). With ''Ohana,'' Pepper was able to bridge their past with their future. The first single, ''Vacation,'' bassist Bret Bollinger describes as ''...if James Brown and The Beach Boys got together and had way too many Mai Tai's,'' while ''Start You Up'' and ''Never Ending Summer'' demonstrate that with ''Ohana,'' Pepper is on a whole new level and better than ever.