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Rating: I am about to write my first review... if I have to be torn apart, I will accept my sad fate. Always mindful of the fact that criticisms are always meant to improve, even those given in not-so-constructive tones... ;)
Yoav is an Israeli artist who spent his childhood in Cape Town, later moving to London, New York, and Montreal, places where he managed to let himself be influenced, musically speaking, creating a truly interesting sound blend. This sound blend is magnificently contained within the 11 tracks of this "Charmed And Strange," extraordinary work is the first adjective that comes to mind. Extraordinary in itself, with a sound meticulously crafted in every detail and a sensual and intriguing atmosphere that serves as a common thread throughout the album's duration, yet alone it wouldn't be enough to make this eclectic artist's album unique. Indeed, Yoav's peculiarity is doing everything with his guitar. Everything indeed. No band, no drums or bass to accompany him, just him and his guitar. A total symbiosis with his instrument, from which he extracts percussions, musical carpets, and riffs gently stroked on the strings, accompanied by a voice that is both delicate and firm at the same time, often making genius use of falsettos. And the beauty is that you don't feel the difference from a record of songs played by a band... miracles of the studio, you say? Then I advise you to look up some live performances on YouTube. You'll see it's really him doing everything, and even more. So it starts with a tapping on the soundboard, sampled and enriched as the beats follow, interspersed with high-class strumming subjected to arpeggios and riffs that make each song a truly valuable gem.
Truly an artist and a work that stand out and deserve significant attention. Particularly interesting among all the tracks are Adore Adore, Club Thing (perhaps the most well-known), Live, One By One, and the splendid "suite", if you'll allow me the term, Beautiful Lie.
Passed with flying colors.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Club Thing (04:24)
I feel like playing the game tonight
This town gets lonely after midnight
And when animal hunger runs deep
And now I'm never gonna get to sleep
Well some people claim, but I know, I know
The deepest, darkest place to go
You never get out once they let you in
You never get out once they let you in
You'll be nuthin' but a club thing
What would you say to be paid to be one of the beautiful?
Such a beautiful face
Such a beautiful girl
And one thing's for sure, one thing's for certain
That if you get behind the velvet curtain
You'll see, there nothing's as sweet as it looks on my TV
You need a cold soul of concrete here
You got a view without pity
You need a cold soul of concrete here
Just like the soul, the soul of the city
(chorus x 2)
What would you say to be paid to be one of the beautiful?
Such a beautiful face
Such a beautiful girl
Beautiful girl
He watches from the corner
He waits for her to stumble
He knows that he's the king
The king of the cardboard jungle
He knows he cannot fight
What appears to enslave her
He's got a hunger
For the sweetest of flavors
Well, don't worry baby now
It won't be long
Once the hunger start to take you in
Before you know it, you will be gone, gone, gone
To be just another club thing
(chorus x 4)
What would you say to be paid to be one of the beautiful?
Such a beautiful face (so beautiful)
Such a beautiful girl (so beautiful)
Beautiful girl
08 Angel and the Animal (05:06)
As winter fall down on London town,
I feel the walls closing in,
The silver sky is turning us, to stone,
We hide beneath the ground,
Feeling so broken and,
Cannot tell the day and night,
Apart.
Well I think,
But I'm not sure,
I don't know how,
It is, we came to be here,
Doesn't it seem strange,
I mean, could it be it's not really happening now.
And the animal,
Is always in your heart,
And the animal,
Forever will be where you are.
Breathe in the air for me,
You don't know what it feels like,
To be, free,
But your innocent experience,
Can lead you astray sometimes,
And passion isn't always the key,
So you dig in and I hold out,
And don't let go for nothing,
Didn't you see me fall,
Or is this not really happening at all.
Angel,
And the animal,
Will always be in your heart,
Angel,
And the animal,
Forever will be where you are,
One day,
You remember this,
When all has come to pass,
One day,
You remember you are,
Not the one you think you are,
As winter left of London town,
I feel my heart opening,
So I, turn around and breathe you in,
Again.
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