Album Review: Strange Love Songs by Avital Raz

AVITAL RAZ: Strange Love Songs

Album Name: Strange Love Songs
Artist: Avital Raz
Year/Label: 2009 / Independent

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Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

Avital Raz is from Jerusalem and is trained in classical music and opera as well as classical Indian music. This one was a little difficult for me. At first, I didn’t care for it at all. I admit I’m still getting used to her vocal style. It’s different from what I’m used to.

Once I gave this some serious ear time, I started to appreciate its uniqueness. The music is kinda…weird for lack of a better word. At least to my American pop ears. It’s dissonant, dark, which is cool, but takes some getting used to. Also she does a lot of layering that doesn’t make sense to me.

The opening song, Migraine in Katmandu is haunting almost dirgy. It’s probably my favorite track. She makes good use of minor keys.

I don’t get Weep at all and Strange Love Song is indeed strange. Again, to me, probably because it’s so different from everything else in rotation right now. So when it comes on it’s almost startling.

In You is where her voice started to grow on me.

All Pains is very mystic. I like the melody. There’s a cool woodwind instrument throughout this recording that sounds very Middle Eastern and adds to the mystery.

I am not going to recommend this to everyone, but if you’re willing to try something different, and you like the samples give it a shot. Go on, broaden your horizons!

Track Listing
1. Migraine in Katmandu
2. Weep
3. Migraine in Jerusalem
4. A Strange Love Song
5. In You
6. All Pains

[Avital Raz on MySpace]



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