Album Details

• Artist: Yair Yona
• Album: Remember
• Label: Anova/Strange Attractors
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2010-09-08

"Remember" is one of those records where you will say both "Another solo acoustic record based on Tacoma style?" and "wow, this is brilliant." As a debut record for one young Yair Yona, it displays both a set of very familiar influences, while at the same time showcases Yona's considerable skills at blues and European folk. You may want to see this as derivative, but he just doesn't let you really go there.

On the opener, "Remember," long slide lines helping to evoke an arid big sky landscape, while "Skinny Fists" is majestic and intimate, a full expression of the range of ideas and melodic ideas. "Are You Smarter Than a 35 Year Old TV Host?" is appropriately meditative and reflective, with an especially moving middle section, a slow and repetitive chord that, with a flourish, doesn't really change but becomes faster, resolute.

Ah, yes, the influences. "Floodgate Opens To Allow A Ship To Come Through (As It Carries The Passenger Fahey on It)" is a nice homage to one Fahey, complete with a nod to the Master's late electric period. Yona's drone is understated but uplifting. The main melody is a kind of whimsical melancholy at which JF excelled. But there is enough done with Fahey's tropes to make this Yona's tune, not just a tribute. "Sympathy For The Jack" features more dirty soulful slide, part blues, part brisky bluegrass. So maybe you're getting the idea that Jack is the gone too soon Jack Rose, who also made such a sound his own?

 "Russian Dance," which begins slowly, disorienting, and only begins to sound like one during the middle's martial strut and gorgeous ending waltz, and "Struggled So Hard," a brisk country raga, with slicing lines and hypnotic rolling melody, are also highlights.

Yair Yona is a guitarist with soul. While you can hear his heroes loud and clear on "Remember," you can also explicitly hear his use of them as a starting point for his own ideas. His graceful and gritty tone is one I look forward to hearing in the future.

User Reviews and Comments

on 2010-10-11 entertainment Said:

Hows the music career going?

Im working with a company that are developing solutions to help artists further their career. Our company is a global online music and video streaming platform from Sweden called Ubetoo.
The problem today is often that an artist doesnt make any money until they get signed by a record label. Once they are signed, though  the record label will take up to 85% of the earnings.

If youre either in a state where you are waiting to get signed or if you want to keep your rights to your music instead of selling out to a record label  get back to me and we can talk about finding a good solution.

Best Wishes,
Hanna Neering
Hanna.neering@ubetoo.com

Not Rated