Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

Imagine a dimly lit room–a classically melodramatic setting for the next humdrum, male singer-songwriter to make his debut.  But this time, the acoustic guitar is accompanied by a wonderful harmonica that sounds as if it comes straight out of the mouth of a Western pioneer with thousands of wagon-driven miles under his belt.  But the only desert that this performer has trekked is the Negev in Israel.  The delicate lilting voice belongs to Tel Aviv native Idan Rabinovici.  Only twenty-four years young, Rabinovici illustrates incredible musical prowess, backed by his all-Israeli band that plays anything from harmonica to trumpet to saxophone.

Rabinovici’s debut album Bedroom Folk is as much a mission statement for the burgeoning artist as it is an homage to his vast number of influences.  Having traveled a great deal between Israel and the United States during his childhood, Rabinovici developed a fascination with all things music, dabbling in blues, jazz, folk, and rock and roll.  Bedroom Folk shows an individual seeking to make sense out of a world that is constantly changing around him.  Rabinovici has experienced his share of journeying and the emotional peaks and troughs that accompany it, but he shares his morsels of wisdom in a humble way that avoids wanton self-aggrandizement.

“Pretty Hard to Tell” commences with a wonderfully magical sitar-laden prelude that seamlessly leads into an achingly sweet folk song about the singer’s insecurities.  “Jungle Man” lies in nearly perfect contrast, as Rabinovici finds himself singling in a comically low baritone that is excellently complemented by the rich trumpet.  The fire-roasting “Ol’ Wooden Bench” is lovingly adorned with the cacophony of harmonicas and pianos that turn this nostalgic song into a more urgently beautiful country-folk track.  “Thinking Cap” drips with thinly veiled references to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as Rabinovici expresses his weariness with the continued fighting. As Rabinovici somewhat ironically says, “After so many shipwrecks, someone’s bound to keep afloat.” His debut has shown that he has indeed found a way to stay afloat–now it is his time to find what lies beyond the horizon.

Get a copy of Bedroom Folk.

Listen to “Jungle Man”

Listen to “Pretty Hard to Tell“

Israeli singer-songwriter Noa Babayof has released quite an interesting album titled From a Window to a Wall, and I wanted to give you a song that is so chillingly beautiful that I’m not even sure myself how I feel about this song.  Let me know what you think.

Listen to “Them That Are Writing These Songs“