HIRAIDAI ventures away from his familiar sonic island, wading into the pop deep on Slow & Easy. The singer-songwriter first captured attention at the start of the 2010s by channeling a lifelong love of surfing and Hawaiian music into relaxed songs built around the ukulele. His first two albums, Ohana and Aloha, fully embrace the island vibe with chill lyrics and light instrumentation. When he put out his fourth collection in 2015, though, HIRAIDAI began balancing his familiar stripped-down meditations with lively dance pop. Across Slow & Easy, HIRAIDAI draws influence from pop supernova (and Hawaiian-born artist) Bruno Mars, even including a cover of the singer’s “Just the Way You Are.” This inspiration spilled over into HIRAIDAI’s originals as well. The title track channels Mars’ “The Lazy Song” to promote a stress-free lifestyle over whistles, ukulele strums, and a lively beat. He infuses seaside sounds with stadium-size percussive elements on “Naturally,” an otherwise laidback ode about getting along. He starts “Summer Queen” with the familiar strums of an acoustic guitar but swiftly works it into a funk bounce with a cowbell. “To the Beach” revisits HIRAIDAI’s favorite pastime—fun in the sun—but plays out Pacific Ocean daydreams over a speedy rock melody. Moments like these hint at the singer-songwriter’s diverse musical interests, which he’d further explore in future releases.