Yael Naim's self-titled album released late last year is reminisce of Kate Bush.  Paris-born but Israeli background, Naim produced her first album in 2001, and her latest album is a mixture of French, English and Hebrew which leaves me feeling slightly inadequate.  I cannot even speak in three languages let alone sing.

Naim's offering is melancholic at best, an acquired taste at worst but more likely just a pleasing background album.  However, it is a more inspiring offering than the insipid Enya, and not quite the movie soundtrack that people have been describing it as being.  If Naim sounds oddly familiar to a few of you, it is because her song, “New Soul”, was featured on the Macbook air ad recently and then proceeded to reach the lofty heights of seventh in the US Billboard Hot 100.  In particular, the Britney Spear's track “Toxic” is covered by Naim to amazing effect, and one is left feeling that Naim's version makes Spear's original insignificant by comparison.  Let's face it, only ten year-old screaming girls would be to begging to differ on that front.

Naim has had an odd background which makes most of ours look benign in comparison.  When she was not country hopping, she was quietly tapping away at her classical piano music before being cast off into compulsory military service in Israeli.  And instead of coming out of such an upbringing with wrought guitar and screeching music, Naim has produced what can only be described as a beautiful and poignant album.

This album was two years in the making, and the quality of the tunes suggests that it was an album that its creators dwelled over for sometime.  Your mother would love this album, but you may also grow to love it for such tunes as “Levater” and “Too Long”.

6/10