It has been a long time since my last post and I was hoping to listen to some fresh new music, so I picked up Shwekey's latest album, Ad Bli Dai.As I noted in my review of Shwekey's previous album, a change in course was the only thing he could possibly do to stay relevant and cool. It hasn't happened and, by inertia, this album is not really a new album, it's just more of the old.
Let me get more specific. The opening song Areivim is a complicated choice for a first song - little energy, not catchy and not a innovative arrangement. This is at best the traditional "filler" song but right at the start of the album of JM's most popular singer.
Teshuva is arguably Yossi Green's least original song in a long time. It's hasn't the usual YG taste to it.
Veshochanti and Naase Venatzliach are already better and I cannot criticize as much. It's a little different and it's acceptable. But then it comes Mimkomcha I wonder what Shwekey liked about this song. I can easily spot Waldner's hand in most his songs, but in this one I was surprised to see his name in the credits. To compose a slow, mellow Mimkomcha is the same as composing a new slow, mellow Hamalach Hagoel - nobody can hear it anymore. Just a few Mimkomcha's that come to my mind - Mendy Wald's, Shlomo Simcha, Avrumie Flam, Carlebach (lehavdil). And here again, Shwekey goes for such a song. And the same goes for Ad Bli Dai - Dedi, Shnitzler and others have similar songs.
I always do my best to write even-handed reviews but I'm afraid I cannot go ahead and start saying wonders about this one and it's a case point of what going on today in mainstream JM - little originality, courage or musical beaktroughs. Yes, Shwekey can still sing beautiful songs like the uber-popular Vehi Sheamda but this is not Shwekey's signature kind of song. Vehi Sheamda is Razel's shtick and Shwekey was only the best way to make this song popular. When it comes to put a project together, Shwekey failed to bring us his usual hit songs. I miss Yedid!
PS: I did modify this post a little in response to the harsh comments I received and I did my best to soften the tone.
.jpg)
