"More Charming Than Strange"

Yoav - Charmed & Strange

Record Label: Field Recordings
Release Date: May 5, 2008
Produced By: Ian Davenport, Marius de Vries & Yoav

Track Listing:
1. Adore Adore
2. Club Thing
3. Live
4. One By One
5. There Is Nobody
6. Wake Up
7. Beautiful Lie
8. Angel And The Animal
9. Sometimes...
10. Yeah, The End
11. Where Is My Mind?

The early 1960’s saw the emergence of an American by the name of Robert Zimmerman, a musician who redefined the sound of popular music in an era littered with notable talent. Despite the fierce competition, Zimmerman still managed to carve a place for himself that has made his music famous the world over. Cape Town native Yoav (pronounced yo-av) has embarked on a similar journey with his debut album “Charmed & Strange”, which boasts a track list that could redefine the sound of today’s popular music.

Yoav is unique because he is like nothing ever heard before. The combination of Neptunes inspired beats, and lyrics that would make Thom Yorke proud unite for an aural experience that opens the listener to an entirely new world of sound. One can only begin to appreciate the genius of what they are listening to after learning how he produces his music. His beats are made through various tapping and picking methods on his acoustic that are only given proper justice when seen first hand. Couple these percussive instrumentals with a voice so beautifully distinct and we got a winner on our hands, folks.

To be absolutely fair, the tracks themselves are all equally fantastic. Each has their own rich sound that compels the listener to engage themselves with what they are hearing. I could honestly write a review for each song, but that’d be boring and would eat up valuable time that you could be listening instead of reading. My personal favourites include “Adore Adore”, his first single “Club Thing”, “One by One”, and lastly, a cover of a personal favourite, the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?”. “Adore Adore” proves itself to be the perfect opening to this album. It’s rather slow to start but gradually builds into a thumping beat that really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The track with the most ‘wow factor’ for me is “Club Thing”, which combines a rather dark sound with lyrics that detail the almost animalistic side of attraction. This song is just dripping in all kinds of sexy. It’s amazing to see the transition from racy tracks like “Club Thing” to “One by One”. I think this song takes the cake for me. Although quite simple, a voice as melodic as Yoav’s in concert with the loveliest of harmonies is enough to win me over. Of course, there is the aforementioned Pixies cover, which really is the cherry on top of a cake that is too succulent for words themselves.

This album has a breadth of ability that is simply astonishing. If there ever was an album akin to a Swiss Army knife, this would be it. The lineup of tracks includes songs that would feel as much at home at a nightclub as they would a romantic evening with that special someone. Critics might say the album lacks consistency, but I would venture to guess that they have missed the point entirely. It truly is a masterpiece that has the capability of changing the musical landscape for the better.

One can only hope that Yoav enjoys as much success with his ‘niche’ sound as Robert Zimmerman did with his. If you still haven’t clued in to who this Robert Zimmerman character is, you just may know him by his more commonly held name: Bob Dylan.


www.myspace.com/yoavmusic
www.yoavmusic.com