If Regina Spektor Was Israeli... 3 out of 5 Stars...she'd be Yael Naim. Naim's American debut album works the same turf Spektor's Begin to Hope and Far does, or Feist's The Reminder. Clever and catchy piano songs with fragile arrangmemts that draw you in. The first hook is that she sings her songs in English, French and Hebrew. The second was Apple's Airbook latching itself to Naim's "New Soul" single.
There's one more big hooking to this CD, and it's Naim's screwed down version of "Toxic." Naim takes one on Brittany Spear's signature songs and slows it down to a creepy lament. On an album that is filled with prettiness and airy folk-lite songs in foreign languages, "Toxic" is a shock. "New Soul" is still the best song (and most obvious hit) on the album, though.
That lack of obviousness will limit the appeal of "Yael Naim" to world music fans and hipsters who will take a smug irony is claiming Hebrew language songs are theirs. And those who came to Naim via Apple Adverts. But for fans of world pop who might have some David Broza in the player, you'll like her just fine.
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