I'll be the first to admit that Bratpack is flawed. What sets out to be an examination of the superhero/sidekick superhero sub-genre ends up being a cliché-ridden example in the worst of people.

The characters are specific examples of what some think superheroes would be: The gay man, the vigilante, the druggie, the feminist. The villain, perhaps my favorite character, is very evil, but has a purpose. (And every villain must have a purpose for them to be really evil.)

"New Shoes" was Paolo Nutini's first US single. It's a nice, upbeat song that served as a good introduction to this singer/songwriter from Scotland.

The songs themselves are mature, but not in the expletive-as-every-other-word way. Mature as in subject and sound. Love, loss, longing. I don't know why, but for some reason I think of him as a modern day Bob Dylan. Since he wrote the songs he sings, he gives us a piece of himself, his life, on each track.

You may have heard of Israel Kamakawiwo`ole, who is probably better known as Iz. The song he's best known for is the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" medley.

Yes, that guy.

The late Iz was a Hawaiian singer who was proud of his heritage and sang songs of his home. Everything about him was Hawaiian. And his album "Facing Future" seems to be a great showcase of that.