Six13's Yesh Chadash Review

One of my favorite musicians in JM, Mike Boxer, is back with Six13's latest album. Although I'm pretty much done with reviews I made an exception simply because they are more original than everyone else - you can't be in Acapella otherwise. And I love original stuff and most of all Acapella, so I'm excited about this one.

The album's title Yesh Hadash is most certainly a play with the Kohelet verse: "There's nothing new (Ein Hadash) under the sun" like saying "Six13 is back, and with some new and refreshing music". Let's hope that holds true!

Ki Leolam Hasdo is very catchy and pop-ish. I like the way the lyrics and the song blend - it's not easy to sing these lyrics but I think this worked well. The song builds up well, with a nice bridge in 1:52 (it sounds like another of Six13's song but I can't remember which) and some improvisation in 2:46, where they keep changing the lyrics and that's great - everyone else in JM would just keep singing the same basic lyrics. ****

Mah Tovu is another tune that goes very well with the lyrics, despite the fact that the lyrics are not very original. But although it's true that every JM singer already has a Ma Tovu in their repertoire, this one is different than the rest, so you will not pass it. The arrangement is really amazing, just makes the song flow seamlessly. I also loved the closing of the song. This was definitely the right choice for the second song. ****

Mi Kamocha is in the serious side, and although the first part seems to be just average the high part is amazing and groovy. So far in this album all the bridges are perfect - great job in 2:37, again singing on the lyrics ("Tzur Yisrael") instead of repeating the same lyrics all the time. And before I forget - wacky closing. *****

The next song is very upbeat and puts you in the right mood for the lyrics - Modeh Ani, which we say every morning. I didn't like the second part of the song simply because it uses to much repetition, but overall this song is the best so far - the vocals are superb (check 2:04 and 3:23 and 3:30) and the harmonies are just what I love in Acapella. To put all this together is a great feat. ****

After the cool intermission idea ("ladies and gentleman, once again, Six13") we get to the crazy part of this album - Neilah. The Shwekey-lovers will not be able to appreciate this but I love to see a group just having fun and singing what comes their heart. You can see here Six13's array of shticks and tricks and although all the songs are non-Jewish hits this is woth listening to. Yes, "Too late to circumcise" is a stretch and I hope you will not walk around singing this, but man, so much fun! ****

Like in Ma Tovu, Im Eshocheich is a complicated choice of lyrics but despite that I appreciated the moody style of this song. It's not singable, but it's a nice experiment. And the bass guy in the end is unreal - in Six13 Encore I thought this guy's voice was digitally altered but it's real. The best bass voice in JM, easily. If you didn't notice it, do me a favor, go to 4:04 and hear it again. Don't pass it like that. ****

Shiru Lamelech is perhaps some 5 years too late so from the start I wonder if it was smart to try to Six13-ize it. Everything is amazing but this song already got all the attention it could've gotten, even tough this gotta be the funnest rendition so far. It puts Lev Tahor's version (1st album) to shame, but again, it's too late. ***

I didn't "clicked" with Bni and Ata Echad, which in my opinion are less good than what we had until know. *

Ledor Vador is a song originally featured in Josh Nelson's debut album, an album I didn't review but full of good music (special mention to his first song there, amazing). If you are interested, check Teruah's glowing review. I heard this song before, so I didn't get blown away. ***

Final Thoughts: Although this is not an album intended to the Yeshivish crowd, it seems to me that this album got less buzz than it deserves. While JM as a whole is getting me bored Six13 is ever-interesting and original. All the songs have a purpose and a concept, that is, they are not just another song, it's a new story every time, so anyone who just loves good music will automatically love this album. I hope Mr. Boxer continues to venture into the more Yeshivish JM since he has a lot to teach. As I said once, a professional in a sea of amateurs and Spinner will go far if he sticks with Boxer.

Ben Yehuda Drummers and Sefira Music

This is a picture I took yesterday night in Ben Yehuda. These drummers keep playing for over 4 hours every Motze Shabbes and they've become part of this street's peculiar array of musicians. At some point a woman stormed in and started doing belly dancing, and although not all the drummers were religious, they immediately stopped playing. One of the things you can only see in Israel - hippies playing music not for stam partying but for Hash-m. Nice.

Incidentally, these drummers reminded me of another post I was planning to write about music in the Sefira. I gave up on that, because I got dragged to another issue, namely, listening to music during the WHOLE year. According to the foremost poskim, only drumming (hence the connection) is allowed and that is by the way the source of the old Jerusalemite minhag of not using full bands for weddings in the city - people only hire drummers. I was told that the Jews in Yemen used to be makpid and wouldn't listen to music throughout the year.

Anyways, one thing is clear - the music from the Ben Yehuda drummers is Kosher Lemehadrin.

(I refer you to this antique discussion in Hirhurim, which deals with this topic and has great comments)

A.K.A.Pella 3 Adaptation Review

I got to be honest, this review has been really challenging for me. I not only had to listen to the songs in this album, I had to go to the original tunes to find out what's novel and what is just copied. Since I didn’t know all the originals my wife joined in and this review quickly became a family song quiz. Anyways, it took me double the time to write this review and I admit it’s still a bit clumsy. But I decided to post it anyways, as I originally wanted to be done with it before Lag Baomer.

A.K.APella’s album cover is the nicest I’ve seen in many years, even cooler than Yossi Green’s in my opinion. The blue-colored Chameleon with the three-shaped tail is brilliant and I’m happy they dubbed this album Adaptations – it’s an accurate one-word description of what this album is all about. And the font – a detail usually ignored by most artists - used by the graphical team is also unusual and very cool.

The vocals in this album are exceptional. Each vocalist has a different style and they all mesh together very well, not to mention the harmonies, which are almost always smooth and cool. CD Eichler uses his falsetto very often, tastefully, and he is great at song interpretation – he doesn’t just say the words, he ads intensity to every note. The other soloists are also good at it and that alone made this album fun to listen.

I hoped to see one or two Jewish songs, like in their first two CD’s (Hashem Elokei and Hiney were great), but this time AKAPella focused in non-Jewish sources.

Etz Chaim, composed by Bon Jovi, is a very energetic rock song with lots of computerized effects and it is a great choice for the opening song. The arrangement and harmonies are identical to Bon Jovi’s original version but doing all that in an acapella setting really is a great accomplishment. I personally don’t enjoy the “guitar voice” in 2:25 as I think it takes away the acapella feel. Btw, the choice of words - Etz Chaim (i.e. Tree of Life) is a play with the original title of this song, It's My Life. ****

Although musically Halelu is very interesting I didn’t find any connection between the tune and the lyrics, so the song is somewhat “empty” as it has no message behind it. George Harrison had a message and he sang it with more heart than the soloists in this song. Despite this, I absolutely love the vocal improvisation in 4:18 – the vocals towards the end of the song are amazing, it saved this song from falling short. **

The Mi Bon Siach lyrics are probably the least original lyrics for a song these days and considering that song #7 is Mi Adir, which has the same lyrics in the second part, I think the lyrics choice here was bad. Their Mi Adir is great and I wouldn’t change that one, but this one deserved better lyrics. Despite this grudge, the song gets momentum after 3:15 when Avi Stewart storms in with a very good modulation, in addition to the fantastic light choir harmonies in the background (if you don’t know what I’m saying check 3:37, where the choir sound is more perceptible). Well done. ***

Adon Olam is comes from a goyish song I love, Hey There Delilah, and this is a perfect song for acapella - the arrangement is simple and the focus is in the vocals and harmonies. The vocals are smooth, which is what this song needed, and if you see the original tune you will see that AKAPella did a great job in this one. ****

After the success of Dror Yikra, a great adaptation from Simon & Garfunkel featured in their first album (I sing it in my Shabbos table), AKAPella revisits this group with Gam Ki Elech. The legendary Simon & Garfunkel were able to do a much better job than AKAPella - they sing it with more “heart” and they are (obviously) more authentic. The lyrics were not bad, but they did have to run them a bit in order to fit in the tune. ***

I don’t have much to say about Ma Tovu. The guitar in the very end (3:05) sounds way too much like a real guitar, unlike in Etz Chaim. That’s something I don’t like at all in an acapella setting, it’s a “Setirah”. Either you do acapella or you just throw in a real guitar. ***

Mi Adir is one of my favorites in this album – Celine Dion’s songs are just unbeatable. And this is a great slow song adaptation that does have a Chuppa feel, so the lyrics do make sense. Itsi did a great job and interpreted the song just like Dion does, employing the same shticks. Avi Stewart, who has a more Yeshivish voice, sings half-way in the song and keeps this song Chuppa-like. The falsetto in 3:10 worked well (I’m not sure if Dion also does this) and overall this song was very well put together. ****

I am again critical of the lyrics choice for Hiney since AKAPella already has a song with the same lyrics in their debut album. In addition to this, there’s not much coolness in this one.**

Ani Maamin is a very risky choice for lyrics, but for some reason it really fits well in this Moody Blue’s tune. It’s a great adaptation and it almost sounds like this song was composed for these lyrics. And the trumpet-like vocals (you can hear it in 1:15) worked perfectly, sounding very much like the original’s arrangement. ****

Chaveirim starts exactly like Lev Tahor’s Baruch Hagever and it is a home-run. The message – Friends – was untouched because of the lyrics choice and as a result this is one of the few songs that have a meaning. That alone pushes this song further that any other one featured in this album. CD Eichler went beyond and introduced the Always Coca-Cola theme in 1:30 as a bridge - pretty cool. *****

Oseh, like Chaveirm, has Hebrew lyrics with the same message of the original tune. Even the children cheering in the background was taken from the original, but this song it much too long and is not as cool as Chaveirim. ***

When the Children’s intro resembles Lev Tahor’s intro in Rachem (1st album). The vocals are not as good as the other songs, but the Kol Noar Boys choir was used smartly, first singing softly, just the “niggun” and then singing the words. I love that, especially in this song where the Boys Choir idea fit in the tune’s lyrics. ****

Ki Malochov has more original lyrics and I was happy to see that. Like Gam Ki Elech and Halelu the song loses a lot of its meaning with the lyrics switch and this adaptation didn’t work seamlessly. But the closing of the song is pretty cool – CD Eichler throws in the tune from The Sound of Music (“So Long Farewell”) and it has a double meaning: first, it fits in the original song, which is a song about a man leaving on a jet plane saying goodbye to his girlfriend. Secondly, it’s the last song of this album and AKAPella is saying goodbye to its listeners. **

So at this point you are wondering if this review is “positive or otherwise” (quoted from C.D. Eichler’s thank you note), and I want to stress a very important point about this album.

I came to the conclusion that AKApella is the sefirah version of Shlock Rock or Gershon Veroba’s Variations – their idea is to take famous non-Jewish hits and transform them in Jewish Music songs. I love many Shlock Rock songs – Abarbanel and Into the Sea are classics – and Veroba’s, but they cannot be placed in the same bag with Gabay and Yossi Green’s albums, which focus in new music.

AKApella is a different concept, completely. It’s a CD for the light-hearted, who don’t care much about who composed the songs, if the songs are authentic Jewish songs, or if the computerized shticks are improper for Sefirah – it’s an album for those who can simply sit back, relax and listen to interesting music. In that sense, I’m light-hearted and I was able to enjoy this album. At the same time, I believe Six13, another acapella group, is ahead of A.K.A.Pella specifically because they are more focused in originality. That’s the reason why I didn’t give five stars to any of the songs in this album - any way you slice it originality is missing here.

AKAPella was outstanding at what they set themselves to do – adaptations - but I still think they can dare to shoot higher and try to brake new ground in Jewish Music. In terms of vocals, they have an edge over other JM groups and if they take some risks I think they will be rewarded.

Positive or otherwise then? Positive/otherwise review I guess.

8th Note Review

I will start with a disclaimer. Much has been said about my alleged bias towards Yossi Green. Some think I like everything he does, some suspected me of being YG himself, given the similarity between our names, and some (Joel) have even suggested me to get a room with him. Well, I want to make clear that no one is above criticism and even the geniuses make mistakes. In other words, in this review I will analyze YG like any other musician and singer, not as a necessary “evil” (this is a quote from a reader) i.e. ignoring whatever shortcomings this album might have. In this review I’m not reviewing YG’s career, I’m just reviewing his latest album, the 8Th Note.

Let’s start with the concept behind this album. The concept is similar to Gideon Levine’s Best of the Best, where Gideon sings half of the song while a guest star does the other half. Except for a few songs, that’s what YG did here, but his guest singers have a different style than Gideon’s. Gideon’s guests are usually the old-school singers like Dachs, Wald, Shwekey and the like. The 8th note reaches for the Mizrachi music fans that love Chaim Israel and Gad Elbaz, the Matisyahu fans and the public who loves groupies like Lev Tahor and AKAPella. So the 8th note has a wider appeal.I think “8th note” was a very creative name, even though one of the most famous record labels in Israel is called.. the HaTav Hashmini – the 8th note.

Lishinsky usually does techno arrangements and I haven’t heard him doing arrangements like this one, which is very simple and not very edgy. In Mendy Wald, Shloimie Gertner and Gabay’s opening songs, all composed by Green, the constant was the techno / edgy feel. Layehudim is not like that, as it relies heavily in the creative lyrics and not on many other interesting shticks. True, the Teimani Rabbi is there for a few seconds but in this song he can barely be heard. It’s a catchy song, but the arrangement didn’t add much to it. ****

Anovim is a perfect song. The song is breathtaking, MBD was born to sing it and Freiberg’s arrangement brings this song to a stellar level. Surprisingly, YG was up to the task singing-wise and he took this song really well. I haven’t heard him interpreting a song this well, even throwing in a very cool vocal shtick in 3:51. Five stars is not enough for this one. It’s above everything else. ******

Sefor has an “ethnic” feel, mostly because of the cool flute solo and the very creative idea of bringing in a Teimani reading of the Passuk into the song. This last shtick really makes sense as the Teimanin allegedly have the most accurate Havara (pronunciation) and I guess this is the closest to what the Passuk should really sound like (click here for my post on this subject). Lev Tahor are the guest singers but Eli Shwebel did 90% of job. Gadi, who’s really amazing in the lower harmonies and usually mimics the bass lines, can barely be heard and the other one (forgot his name) was probably not even there. *****

It almost seems like Beshivtecho was supposed to be featured in Gertner’s last album – it was evidently composed having him in mind. Gertner’s Chassidish groove fits in very well in this song, which is a three-part. Without the third part, YG’s niggun, this song would be flat and missing something – it’s really amazing how YG is able to bring this song to a new level with a simple yet cool niggun. I must note that like in his debut album, Gertner again played too safe in this song. He basically sang his part but did virtually no improvisation, opposed to YG who was clearly having a blast singing it. Gertner is really good, but he must let himself out of the box a little more. ****

Chaim Israel is next in the line up and I felt it wasn’t the right song for him. Although Chaim Israel has many great slow songs in his curriculum (Mimamakim, from his first album, is a good example), he seemed to be out of his comfort zone here. The song never gets momentum and although this song is not at all a flick, in my opinion YG didn’t play his cards well in this song. ***

There was a big effort to make Al Todin sound like an authentic Reggae song, and in this sense, it was a success. However, a distinction must be made between a Reggae song and a good Reggae song. Al Todin is not a great Reggae song – YG was weak in the vocals and the words were repetitive. At this point it’s clear that YG’s voice can sound good, like in Anovim, but it can also become a liability, as we see here. I will elaborate more about this towards the end of the review. Allegedly, Matisyahu was supposed to be the guest singer, but couldn’t come because he’s in contract with Sony. If Matis would indeed come, I’m sure he would build up the song and add his creative lyrics. But he didn’t, so the song is just what it is – one of the weakest from this album. **

Lama is one of the most interesting songs of the album, featuring Mo Kiss. He has a very pleasant voice and carries this song well alongside with YG. But I do feel Mo Kiss’ core competency is in background vocals and vocal arrangements, as seen in Pruz’s album. Mo’s sweet and pop-ish voice, plus his talent in harmonies make him the perfect man perfect for these roles. But I repeat, he did a very good job as a soloist here as well. Lyrics are original, the tune is very pop-ish and catchy. I liked the digression in 3:15 and this is one of my favorites. *****

In Kanei we see the unthinkable – Helfgot singing alongside with YG. Let’s start with the song. It’s not a Chazzanus piece, but Helfgot has shown many times he’s not limited to the realms of Chazzanus – in that sense, he’s the Andrea Bocceli of JM -, and he sings this song flawlessly. The tune is really nice and powerful, the lyrics are perfect and YG did the right choice to go with Rigler, the frontrunner arranger for string lines. Coming back to the Helfgot-YG duet, it doesn’t works too well. Helfgot has a very high pitch voice, and as a result, YG is forced to sing his weak high notes, taking away from the beauty of this song. A full choir, like the one I hear in the Jerusalem Great Synagogue or like the one featured in Fried’s Zaroh, would raise this song to a classic. ****

I have an old grudge with Yiddish songs that is not specifically related to the next song, Yossel. I think no more than 30% of JM listeners understand Yiddish (ok, maybe 40 or even 50%) and I’m not part of that group, so when I hear a song like Yossel I always get worried. But this song was easy to understand, is a song-anthology about Yossi’s outstanding carreer, and it’s more about the lyrics than the actual the tune, which is not amazing, but it’s a fun song. Thanks to my Yiddish speaking wife, who explained to me the more complicated words. ****

Hesech Hadas is a good song, but as I noted in my other 8th Note post, the “Avraham Fried sings about Mashiach” concept has become a cliché, so just like any other cliché song, this song is not up there. The lyrics are again novel, but I’m not fond of this song. All Fried’s fast songs from Bein Kach are superior to this one. ***

Naaseh starts off really great but the high part is too simple, so it sounds like the song is missing a third part, maybe a niggun like in Beshivtecho. Just imagine Beshivtecho without the niggun - it wouldn't be the same. That's what happened here. This song had the potential to be amazing, as the lyrics are very creative and the first part is interesting, but it unfortunately fell short. However, the Yiddish anecdote in the end is cool, reminds me of Shlomo Carlebach. But there's a mixing issue in the very end of the song - you can hear the sound of a busy phone line and Yossi asking "Hello?". Pretty comic. ***

Mi Adir is something else. It’s not typical and that alone is a compliment. This is a salsa song – reminds me of Macarena – that is very well thought from start to end. The intro and finish are so original (coming back to my Gabay review, how can this be compared to the unoriginal radio intro? This is originality, Gabay’s was a cliché) and the braking of the plate – what a great idea! In almost every JM album there’s a slow Mi Adir and I was afraid this would be just another song, but YG was able to bring new life to the lyrics with a very crazy tune. The second part is a bit weird, but I applaud YG for not being afraid of trying something new and crazy. I’m quite sure this will be a wedding hit – it’s great for dancing.

There are two versions of this albums’ theme song, 8th note, English and Hebrew, so it’s inevitable to compare the two. The English version is more focused in the pleasant harmonies done by AKAPella, with YG featured like the fourth member of it. Here again YG shows that if used smarty, his vocals can add a lot to a song. He sang the first part flawlessly and wow, so softly. And he came up with a great harmony in 2:48, that’s YG at his best. It’s a great song. ****

The Hebrew song is more powerful – Ohad is there and his voice is more expressive and powerful than all AKAPella guys together – and the lyrics seem to flow better, so I prefer this version to the English one. There’s another singer that is uncredited, but I’m quite positive it’s Gad Elbaz – really great singer. *****

-> This is an album unlike any other. It’s an album focused in originality, authenticity and fun, which also has a nice and cool concept behind it – the pursuit of the 8th note. Or, in YG’s own words, the “Journey to the 8th Note”. Everything in this album was thought over and over until it became what it is – a classic. Not all songs are perfect but hey we don’t live in a perfect world. A classic is a classic, and I’m really happy I bought this album. My library would be missing the cherry on top of the chocolate cake -the 8th Note.


Check also Chaim's great post and JB's review.

Alternative Jewish Music

We have witnessed an incredible boom in the alternative Jewish music segment in the past decade and today there are dozens of “new” genres within JM. Until the 90’s, a few yeshivish singers dominated JM and there wasn’t much action in the alternative genres. Today there’s JM for all tastes – rock (example: Blue Fringe), acapella (Six13), reggae (Matisyahu), mizrachi (Chaim Israel), techno and many more.

I think this phenomenon is great, since we can now listen to music that is more contemporary and original, rather than just listening to the same old sound.

But I wonder where you draw the line between what is acceptable as JM and what’s not. Someone emailed me a video clip of JewDa, a hip-hop singer that made teshuva through Chabad not long ago. He was a hip-hop aficionado since his teen’s and although he made teshuva he still wanted to continue his path as a hip-hop singer. The result can be seen in the clip, and I must say I was open-eyed after I saw the video. He looks exactly like a rapper, with a Miami Heat shirt, rapper cap and dancers jumping all-over the screen. I couldn’t’ understand a word of what he said. So I wonder – is this Jewish Music?

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a close-minded JM fan who only listens to MBD and Shwekey. I like Matisyahu and many other “alternative” singers like Aron Razel and Chaim David. I like good music, even if it’s not what I’m used to hear. But JewDa for some reason sounded over the fence to me.

Which brings me to my next question, what is the definition of Jewish Music? How can you determine if a song is part of Jewish Music umbrella?

I don’t really now the answer, but I just feel that there’s a limit of how far can a singer go when singing a Jewish song. And JewDa seems to be just past it.

Six13's Encore

I really enjoyed Six13’s first album, featuring some great songs like Lecha Dodi and Yigdal. So without thinking twice, I went ahead and bought Encore in iTunes for U$9.99, relatively cheap. We should start a petition for more JM in iTunes, to the chagrin of Sameach and Aderet.

Al Hanissim is not my cup-of-tea. Musically speaking, the arrangement and vocal percussion are great but I don’t enjoy this song very much most probably because of the lyrics. I don’t really feel they fit well in this song, so I’m not very excited about this one. **

Six13’s choice of songs for the MBC Mix was perfect – Yaale, Adon Olam and We Need You -, MBC’s best songs ever. Throughout the song the vocal arrangements are creative and interesting – Mike Boxer jokingly throws in “What did you say?” in 2:48 and “We are not done/Yes we are/ Oh that’s right” at the very end. This reflects Six13’s laid back and informal approach to music and I didn’t think it was inappropriate. I specially loved the arrangement in 5:32. *****

The song Son starts like Yigdal started in Six13’s album, with the march percussion theme. Like Al Hanissim, I think musically the song is great but it’s not a style I love. When Alan Zeitlin sings a song like this one, in English, it becomes clear to me that he’s not a great soloist. Otherwise, the song is well built and quite energetic. ***

Gadlu is by far the weirdest and original song in the album. I think Boxer did an outstanding job as the vocalist – I can’t see anyone else singing this song decently and with the twists he does. In 2:42 he does one of those interesting shticks (I must say it feels weird to speak Yeshivish when talking about Six 13). The closing of the song is exceptional – great chord used there. Musically, the song is nearly perfect. And I like the originality (I’m assuming Mike Boxer composed it)[He didn't; it's an oldie from Beat'achon, so I instead of five stars I give four]. ****

Many in JM try to throw in a middle-eastern song in their albums, but few have nailed it like Six13’s Dror Yikra. Without any instruments, just with clever vocal arrangements, Six13 found a way to convey a truly middle-eastern feel in this song. I loved the harmony in 2:40, it’s a harmony I always try to do when I sing. *****

Acheinu is a slow song that sounds more like the JM music I’m used to hear. The soloist is good, the song keeps becoming interesting – first with the Lev Tahor-style harmony in 2:09 and then with some great improvisation until 2:32. Good stuff. ****

Shaalu is the second weirdest song in the album and in songs like this, Mike Boxer excels as a soloist. The song becomes even weirder after 3:10, when Boxer does some slow-tempo improvising that I didn’t particularly enjoy. ***

Kol Achai came out with a solid accapella-style Cracow Niggun not long ago that is quite similar to this one. Out of hundreds of Carlebach songs, I really don’t understand why Six13 choose this one. Why not choose another song and make something more original? The only thing that’s stands out in this song are the dissonant harmonies between 0:30 and 0:42, which are really outstanding. Other than that, Six13’s Cracow Niggun is nonsense to me. After singing Adir Hu, they did a cool shtick in 4:07, meshing the two songs – Cracow and Adir Hu – together. There’s no connection between these two songs, but it’s fun to hear them trying to fit them together. Because of Adir Hu, I give this song three stars and not less. ***

Lo Issa has only one-part, posing a challenge to any group trying to sing it for more than two or three minutes. Not much action in this song, except for the lowest tone I ever heard in a Jewish Music song – both in 1:44 and 3:15. I know it was digitally manipulated [Correction: it wasn't! It's unbelievable, but that's the guy's real voice], but still, that was quite cool. **

The last song of the album is the classic Lev Tahor, but there are many innovations in this song. The shtick here are the cool “bridges” between the two parts of the song, which modulates the song to another sister musical chord – see 1:14, 2:22 . I haven’t seen anyone doing this in JM as good as Six13 did here. In 1:24 you can hear a very exquisite low harmony that I loved. Thumbs up for originality. (I’m so used to a bad last song in JM albums, so this great last song was unexpected for me). *****

-> When I first heard this album, I thought it was too different, too weird. But I was wrong; it is different and it is weird, but it’s a delight to listen to Boxer’s music. In my view, after two consistent Six13 albums, he’s definitely in the forefront of JM today, not only in the acapella niche. His music is fresh, original and well thought. If you liked the first album, I’m sure you will love this one. If you only enjoy yeshivish and chassidish music, it will be hard to digest the modern shticks of this album. However, if you are more broad-minded and enjoy listening to something that is a bit different, Six13 will prove to be one of the year’s best albums.


PS: I made three corrections following an email from Mike Boxer. The mistakes: I thought he was the vocalist in "Son", I thought he composed Gadlu and I thought the soloist's voice in "Lo Issa" was digitally altered.