If memories had a tide, it would take the form of "Tops of My Charts Hawaiian Version," the new release from the visionary and explorer tripperjones.ai. This lush reimagining goes ashore like a love letter in a bottle washed up on the sands of a distant memory.
Anchored by the simple but loaded premise of sitting by the beach in Hawaii, thinking of nowhere else, tripperjones.ai's new single sounds less like a remix and more like a soul transfer. This edition also exchanged the original's polished edge for a laid-back sway of steel guitars, ukulele textures, and salt-air softness. A cool ache is buried beneath the tropical vibes, like smiling through tears as the sun goes down on something unfinished. The vocals are close, almost whispered. tripperjones.ai is savvy and doesn't overdo the moment. Instead, each verse unspools gently, the way the lyrics of a fine song do, like a wave rolling to shore, allowing its words to catch and mingle with the salt and kelp. It's a minimal beat, and the instrumentation is warm and organic. It's all easy listening, but not disposable, some emotional heft between the waves.
What makes this version land is how it leans into feel over production tricks. It does not shout for attention, it lies silently next to you in the sand and is. Whether or not you've been to Hawaii or just daydreamed about going, the song transports you there, not to a place, in other words, but to a time and perhaps to someone you haven't considered in years.
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