Review: Asaf Avidan - Gold Shadow
By Sammi Nelson, Blogs Editor
[Telmavar; 2015]
Rating: 5.5/10
Key Tracks: “Bang Bang,” “Gold Shadows,” “The Labyrinth Song”
Israeli singer-songwriter and musician Asaf Avidan has released Gold Shadow, the sophomore album of his solo career and first worldwide release. Prior to when Avidan began his solo project in 2012, the musician formerly fronted the Israeli folk rock band Asaf Avidan & the Mojos, which he formed in Jerusalem in 2006.
Gold Shadow presents itself as a sequel to Avidan’s debut solo album, Different Pulses, which features deep elements of bluesy, rhythmic guitar and basslines and the high, sultry tenor tone of Avidan’s voice.
Almost the entire tracklists of Different Pulses and Gold Shadow sound like they could be soundtracks for one of the James Bond movies. On Different Pulses, Avidan implements Israeli folk influences into his mix of blues and rock, creating a delightful collaboration of sounds in the process. Avidan uses the same musical mixture technique in Gold Shadow; however, the blues element heavily outweighs the Israeli folk elements. The album also experiences a great shift in tempo and disposition as it progresses with much variety in each song.
“Bang Bang” is one of the most vibrant and lively tracks from Gold Shadow. Its variation in instruments along with poetic lyrics makes for a favorable track on the album. Avidan’s high voice is exciting and perfect for blues rock, and the implementation of folk guitar strums makes for a creative song.
Unfortunately this can’t be said for the many of the tracks, which are a 50/50 hit or miss with musical personality. Many of the songs, such as “A Part of This” and “My Ode to Thamalus,” sound much too similar in style and direction. Listeners are liable to grow bored listening to much of the album due to the similarities and lack of diversification.
This isn’t the case for the entire album, which also features many unique tracks that stand out from the rest. “Gold Shadow” takes a beautifully somber route. The song begins with a soft and quiet piano instrumental. Avidan’s voice soon croons over the sober tune, eventually growing with power as the song progresses until dying back down with the music, then repeating the same technique.
“The Labyrinth Song” is another creative track from Gold Shadow and stands apart from much of the album. With his lyrics, Avidan retells the story of Ariadne and the labyrinth through what appears to be the perspective of Theseus. This mixture of acoustic guitars, gentle singing and Greek mythology makes for an enchanting track.
Avidan’s Gold Shadow boasts an interesting array of musical influences, varying from Israeli folk to blues rock, which makes for several colorful tracks. Unfortunately the blues elements drown out the other styles, which produces a dull, generic blues sound instead of Avidan’s typical eccentric mix. Listeners may find themselves either yawning or nodding along to the music while listening to the album, or perhaps a little bit of both.
