the Color of Context

Yael Naim: She speaks in the universal tongue: melody
Yael Naim, Atlantic Records
Release date: 18 March 2008

By Joe DeRosa
You may not know it yet, but you are familiar with Yael Naim. For the past couple months, you’ve been singing along with her each time that Apple commercial comes on¾ you know, the one where the new Macbook Air slips sleekly out of a manila envelope? Yup, that’s her! Naim is the one responsible for the infectious melody and catchy pop lyrics of “New Soul.” As one of the many who fell in love with the song, I set out to learn more about the artist behind it. Once I found out the singer-songwriter’s name, I immediately went to (where else?) iTunes and downloaded her album. Evidently, a few others had the same idea. After its American premiere, “New Soul” quickly became the number-one most-downloaded song on iTunes. By that time, the album had already topped the mp3 charts overseas.

But those who know Naim (whose name is pronounced, we think, like “yay-EL na-YEEM”) only as the creator behind “New Soul” are in for a surprise. The album was first released in October in Naim’s home country, France, where the artist lived until she was 4 years old. At that age, she moved to Israel. There, she learned to speak Hebrew¾ the language in which she sings eight of the 13 tracks on her self-titled disc (the first she’s recorded since her 2001 debut, In a Man’s Womb). Considering that the hit single has been compared to the sounds of such popular singer-songwriters as Regina Spektor and Sara Bareilles, the rest of the songs on Naim’s album are completely unexpected.

Once I got past my initial shock, I found myself entranced by Naim’s music. Recorded over the span of two years, all the songs on the album definitely have a sense of continuity, despite the switching languages. More so than the lyrics (most of which I don’t understand), the music is what sticks out here. From a recording studio in her apartment, Naim along with fellow musician David Donatien, crafted one hypnotic soundscape after another. Whether it be the bubbly pop melody of “New Soul,” or the dark, atmospheric textures of “Levater,” each song has layer upon layer of unique instruments that together bring the listener to an almost magical realm of sound. The same is true even for her rendition of “Toxic,” which distinctly sets itself apart from both Britney Spears’ original version and Mark Ronson’s popular 2007 cover.

I would love to hear an entire album of songs like the achingly heartfelt “Lonely” (recorded in English). But for now, I’m happy enough singing along to words that I don’t understand, because it doesn’t matter that I don’t understand them. These songs are written so well, they transcend the language barrier. I would highly recommend Naim to fans of Sigur Ros, Cocteau Twins and Sara McLachlan. No matter what language she chooses to use, Naim has created a beautiful album of rich melodies that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of music lovers.