Yael Naim & David Donatien BY Yael Naim & David Donatien Reviewed by Adam D. Miller    When it comes to exposing new music to the masses, it seems that TV commercials are starting to do a better job than the radio. When Apple Computer used Feist’s “1234” in their commercial for the iPod Nano, the song quickly gained international momentum. It peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs chart, thanks to downloads in the tens of thousands, and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.The folks at Apple Computer have again sought out an upbeat, quirky song for use in a commercial for one of their new products. Word has it that Steve Jobs himself selected “New Soul,” a bouncy piano-based tune by emerging French-Israeli singer Yael Naim, to promote the MacBook Air. The song, while not yet as widely known as “1234,” has achieved success almost as immediately as its predecessor. Thanks to the commercial, the song debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Yael Naim the first ever Israeli singer to have a top ten hit in the U.S. In her native countries of France and Israel, the song peaked at an even higher No. 2. The immediate success of “New Soul” has led to Yael Naim being signed to a North American record deal with Atlantic/Warner. Her North American debut, Yael Naim and David Donatien, includes songs in Hebrew, French and English, with “New Soul” prominently featured as the album’s third track. In situations where a catchy single becomes immediately popular, the question usually remains: “how does the rest of the album stand up?” Unlike Feist’s The Reminder, which is consistently solid throughout, Yael Naim is a bit shaky. Of course, much of this is probably a result of the fact that Naim’s core audience is multilingual. To the North American press, Hebrew-language tracks like “Paris” and “Lachlom” are nothing more than pretty melodies sung with a distinctive accent. For all we know, their lyrics contain a sort of depth that flies straight over our heads. This isn’t helped by the fact that the album’s liner notes print these lyrics in their own alphabet and without translation. One Hebrew track, “Shelcha,” manages to stand out among these songs, thanks to an English section sung by folk-pop singer-songwriter kidwithnoeyes. This mellow interlude makes “Shelcha” one of the best tracks on the album. Of the half-dozen English-language tracks, “New Soul” remains the sole highlight. “Too Long” and “Lonely” are pleasant enough, but the inclusion of Naim’s take on Britney Spears’ “Toxic” is a tad gimmicky, to say the least, and nothing manages to grab us in the same way as that bouncy song we heard in the MacBook Air commercial. In the end “New Soul” is a bit of an enigma, largely because it’s creative and unique in a way that is absent from the rest of the album. That’s not to say that Yael Naim doesn’t have potential to release a thoroughly great album in the future – the seeds have been sown – but it may take another go. |  |
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