CD Reviews
Shabak SamechSweet Wrapping
1997 NMC Music Ltd.
This second album isn't nearly as good as the 1995 debut or Kanan 2000. There are only three songs I really like. "Yehiye Pitut" has an incredibly catchy, light, bouncy hip-hop feel. The next track, "Nothing Can Be Heavier" sounds like the title says. With barely any lyrics, the track has grinding heavy metal guitars but a sort of techno beat. The rest of the tracks are like mediocre rap-metal. The last track however is quite different. It's just a vocals-only version of, Titkiyu B'hatzotzdah, a previous track on the album. Hearing the group acapella, without the music highlights their unique style. The choruses are chanted by all members while each verse is rapped by individual members with high inflection. It almost sounds like Jamaican dancehall reggae. I guess that's the tie to Mookie D's new solo album which is almost all reggae. A list listing of their favoroite bands on their web site reveals their diverse influence as well. Perhaps the future of music will we written by artists who jammed to Shabba Ranks as much as Metallica. And it took an Israeli band to do it first.
Most of the lyrics on Sweet Wrapping, like the album cover depict, are party flavored. For guys that started in 1995 in a small country in the Middle East, this is totally unique. But I still think the other albums are far more driving.
