Trust yourself on this one. On this particular Kala offering QC really varies...made a point of trying them esp. when it seemed they were in every Sam Ash in Northern NJ...with a clip on tuner...look through soundholes, etc...and immediately noted: the highly variable appearance where "blotchy" is sold as "exotic."
Thin top? Cheap around the soundholes, my impression.
For a concert and first uke with overall better QC in my experience I would go Makala MK-C. The build on these agathist bargains makes them not only resonant but more solid sounding...