Sluka
A San Diego Zoo
(Steel Flower)


You may already know Christopher Sluka as a coffeeshop proprietor, the owner of the Javanican Coffeehouses. But this San Diegan is much more than a peddler of java -- he’s a musician that should make San Diego proud. Sluka’s career covers more than 15 years and several continents.
     His latest solo release, A San Diego Zoo, is the culmination of a career that’s been brewing and is ready to be savored. A San Diego Zoo is a mellow record, for the most part. The album is basically acoustic and was recorded in Italy, Chile, Japan, and New York & San Diego, which gives it an international flavor that’s hard to miss but easy to swallow.
     The slap-guitar song, "The Weekends Now," is one of the more caffeinated cuts, and a high point of the album. That’s not to say that the slower tunes aren’t piping hot: "Everywhere" is a loving ballad; and the Spanish guitar on "Every Day & Night" and "Este Mi Amor" demonstrates Sluka’s musical diversity.
     Sluka has the voice either of an angel or of former Journey frontman, Steve Perry. You could swear that, on at least a couple of tracks, Sluka’s about to bust out with an "Oh, Sherry" or two. . .
     Serve yourself up a piping hot cup of Sluka -- it’s San Diego’s own tasty treat.

- Jill Albert