Random Snowflakes: Yael Naïm

After the dust settled after American Idol, this is the artist I went repeat-play on.

I first heard about Yael Naïm when I was looking for the name meaning of "Yael". I was going to use it for one of my books... but that's another story for another time.

After a bit of reading on Wiki, I found out that Yael has been around since 2001, but only hit the big time when her song New Soul was used for the advertising campaign for MacBook Air.

Best thing about Yael? Her sound. She uses bare acoustic guitars or piano, occasionally inserting violins and Middle Eastern-sounding instruments. Her voice is smooth and a bit husky at the same time. Her music can feel like Edith Piaf in one track, Tori Amos in the next, and then you get Norah Jones meets Natasha Bedingfield meets Regina Spektor... and it all feels so.... right. If her CD was a fruit, it would have an addicting exotic taste that makes you go for seconds.

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I love how she renders her songs; she gives each one a very unique mark. Okay, fine, so most of her songs really are hers, but I love it how they all sound similar, but unique at the same time. I think this becomes obvious in her stripped down version of Toxic. Which "Toxic", you ask? Well, that Toxic. The one that is Britney's. Yeah, that one. I never really liked the original song, but MAN I loved Yael's version. It's not only completely unexpected but it's just amazing how anyone can turn a song like that into something cool and jazzy and elegant.

Oh, and her French-Israeli accent doesn't hurt, either.

Initially, my favorite song in the album was New Soul. It's just so... so... loveable. Haha! The tune is catchy, the phrasing is amusing, and the way Yael sang it just makes me smile. Paris comes in a close second. But I just have to say this again: the whole album -- the songs be English, French or Hebrew -- is completely repeat-play worthy.

I put up my playlist to let you have a taste of Yael Naïm. (New Soul lyrics follow after me playlist.)

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here
felt the joy and the fear
finding myself making every possible mistake

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

I'm a young soul
in this very strange world
hoping I could learn a bit about what is true and fake.
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate.
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make.

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

This is a happy end
'cause you don't understand
everything you have done
Why's everything so wrong

This is a happy end
come and give me your hand
I'll take your far away.

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take
but since I came here
felt the joy and the fear
finding myself making every possible mistake

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la....

Labels: music, new soul, reviews, yael naim, Yael Naïm