For their fourth album, Uri Kinrot, Itamar Levi and Yuval Zolotov are keeping it light and summery. Manara & Summer Singles is comprised of singles released over the past two years, mostly as video, and instrumental covers recorded over a weekend in Kibbutz Manara somewhere close to the Lebanese border. The Galilean air and additions of Eyal Talmudi on sax and Kutiman on keyboard and percussion give the music depth and texture, like the interior of a rocky canyon where a spaghetti western is being filmed. Talmudi’s sax sounds like it was plucked out of a 50s beach movie and Uri’s guitar is inspired by Aris San and Dick Dale.
Side One: Manara
The band curated some quirky and obscure tracks to cover. Telestar, originally recorded by The Tornadoes in 1962, is named after the first communication satellite put into orbit. Their cover of Çiçek Dağı, a hit for Turkish rocker Erkin Koray in 1968, has Arabic elements and an updated sound. Delilah Jones, released by the McGuire Sisters in 1956 is transformed from a simple pop song into blistering surf rock. Cecilia Ann is a cover of a cover, building on the early 90s version by the Pixies and the original by The Surftones. Finally, the band digs into their Israeli record crate to cover Lehakat Ha’oud’s Neimat Ha’oud with an infusion of Egyptian and Hasidic sounds.
Side 2: Summer Singles
Ein Galim was released during last summer’s heat wave. Click here for our translation of the lyrics. Ars Meduplam is a fun Mediterranean surf rock tune about a player with no conscience. Lighter fare than Ein Galim but fun, and catchy.
Listen to Manara & Summer Singles
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