Yael Naiem is more than just the Israeli-singer-songwriter and pianist of Jewish Tunisian descent who provided the soundtrack (‘New Soul’ for the Apple MacBook Air advertising in 2008 which propelled her in the US top 10, a first for any Israeli music artist. Her apparently voluntarily husked voice has lent itself to beautiful covers and some no less beautifully self-penned songs. The charm is in the voice, whether in English, French or Hebrew, from its delicately soulful and evocative colours to its accent mixing her mixed Jewish-Tunisian and Israeli heritage via the adoptive French tones. Her music has definite touches of ethno-folk heading towards easy-listening pop whilst every element of her undeniable fusion is borrowed, in this musical journey, from Jazz chords, to traditional French sounds and beyond with the help of West Indian percussionist David Donatien.
Yael Naim in 10 songs:
1. Toxic (her brilliant cover of Cathy Dennis’ no less brilliant classic) 2. New Soul Enter the song that made Yael in 2008, the first Israeli solo artist to ever make the top 10 in the US from being featured in an Apple ad; later on also will be featured on the soundtrack of the movie “The House Bunny. 3. Come home The album has some really gospel-y meets Paris in a kind of 1920s moment and tracks such as Come home and Go To The River harmonise along those lines 4. She was a boy This is the title track of her 2010 release, a lazy understated Tango which coupled with her voice and some Parisian musical accents makes it a pure fusion. 5. Paris This track introduces on her adopted place of residence introduces her 2007 release 6. Go to the river 7. Too long Lovely lovely track sung in English and Hebrew released as a single in 2008 from her 2007 self-titled album 8. Lonely Yael Naim wrote all songs on this album and co-writes this one with Clement Verzi 9. Levater Track sung in Hebrew about a relationship 10. Shelcha Yael Naim shows her alto almost set to act as the reply in a question and answer with her higher vocals. Uncanny in quite an alternative music way but it works.
