Shwayze

iTunes Review

This collaboration between former reality show and Whitestarr rocker Cisco Adler (son of producer Lou) and his Malibu-based buddy Aaron Smith, now Shwayze, came together as an MTV reality show (“Buzzin’”) and a debut album that’s knee-deep in soothing California grooves and a sunshine-burnished philosophy that rarely turns sour. “Hollywood” says it “ain’t no place for lovers anymore” and plays to a melancholy tune, though why remains a question, since the smooth, drifting hip-hop and lite-R&B chill of “Roamin’,” “Lazy Days,” “Buzzin,’” and “Corona and Lime” suggest these two young men have the world by the tail and are living the American Dream. If they can’t represent the bright side of Hollywood, then who? The duo don’t attempt anything earth-shattering here — even the boldly titled “James Brown is Dead” keeps a respectful grace to it — but rather employ simple, repetitive melodies that make an immediate impression. For a dose of hard rock, they add ex-Jane’s Addiction guitarist (and reality show veteran himself) Dave Navarro to the slightly more rugged “Flashlight.” Mostly, though, it’s Jimmy Buffett for the hip-hop generation.