Girl at the Rock Shows

I’ll be honest; it’s been a day. It’s just one of those days where, although nothing has gone wrong, it has been nonstop for over twelve hours already, and I still have a couple more hours left of work before I can turn into the night. Thankfully, I have a new album that may just help me get through it all and end the day with a smile on my face.

Israeli musician Dekel’s new album kicks off with the title track, “Starlings.” My entire mood instantly changed. Instead of being stressed on edge, Dekel’s voice and organic instrumentation instantly brought a sense of calm over my soul (which, at this point in the day, I didn’t think could be calmed). This song is quick-paced, making the three-minute and ten-second song fly by, but even with that fast-paced feel, I liked how I found myself swaying to the beat in such a beautiful way. Dekel’s vocals are haunting but not in an eerie way, more in a bright and shiny way which seems to mirror the playful instrumentation happening behind them. All in all, this song was the perfect beginning for what would turn into a ten-song journey that would take me through so many seasons and moods.

Speaking of seasons, the second track on this album is “Season To Season.” This song continues with Dekel’s signature playful sound, but this track has a bit more depth that really hooked me. However, whimsical and fun, the simplistic yet, at times, harsh strings happening in this song gave it a bit of an edge that seemed to signify a feeling of pain to me. Maybe I’m way off there, but that’s the whole point of music, isn’t it? Interpret it how you want, and when it comes to “Season To Season,” I interpret it as a profound yet playful song of self-discovery.

Although I liked the depth I felt in the second track, the almost gypsy-like playfulness that comes through in “Black Cat” was instantly a favorite of mine. My dad is in a Klezmer band, so I grew up around that music. Don’t know Klezmer? I don’t blame you. Basically, it’s Eastern European Jew folk music (don’t worry, I can say that because, well, I am a Jew). Although I wouldn’t say this is a straight-up Klezmer track, I love that there were moments where that’s what it reminded me of. Part of that is due to the accordion (which is my dad’s torture device – I mean instrument- of choice), but it’s also just the way solos come in and out as they dance around the super infectious and fun beat.

Although the beginning of “So Much Logic” drops the infectious and danceable energy, it doesn’t take long for this song to transform into an almost polka-like beat with those signature dark-tinged vocals heard in “Season To Season.” Something I really like about Dekel’s overall sound is just how organic it feels. I want to say it sounds hollow but that has such a bad connotation behind it. That being said, it’s a raw and hollow sound that really makes Dekel’s talent shine and shows you Dekel’s creativity both with words and compositions.

“The Frog Prince” has such a beautiful storyline behind it. Although I have been focused on Dekel’s vocals throughout this album thus far, it wasn’t until this song that I really started to follow the story, and, honestly, it was so perfect. As one may suspect, this song tells the story of trying to find your prince, but every prince you kiss turns into a frog. Although I think I finally found my “real” prince, I loved how this song gave me a chance to reflect on all those frog princes I had to go through to find my actual prince. Not only were the words of this song super relatable, but the raw emotion that comes through with every single word was absolutely stunning, making this another stand-out track for me.

With all of the infectious beats and danceable tracks thus far, “Sing With Me Sisters” caught me a bit off guard. A beautiful guitar plucks away as Dekel’s vocals dance over it with her gorgeous and emotive words. Just when I thought I would be spending some time talking about the serious side of Dekel, the song quickly shifts into a bombastic chorus that will instantly get stuck in your head before falling back into that plucky guitar sound and minimalist-styled drums. The way the song bounced between these two juxtaposing feelings is truly a thing of art because, somehow, it works and works oh so perfectly even though, really, it shouldn’t.

We finally get to see a more “sensitive” side of Dekel with “I Know I Will .”I only put “sensitive” in quotes because, really, this entire album is so deep and clearly so full of passion and heart, but something about this song just felt a bit darker. That being said, I loved the message of this song. The line, “I know I will ’cause I finally know I can,” really stuck with me. Although a deeper and darker song, the triumphant energy of this track is impossible to ignore.

Just when I found myself getting lost in my feelings, Dekel hit me with “Meet Me Halfway,” which instantly reminded me of my dad’s band. This joyous and triumphant track will make you want to get up and stomp around your house while pretending to Flamenco dance in a weird way. Okay, there’s no Flamenco connection here (at least I don’t think), but the beat of this song reminds me of the dancing in Iron & Wine’s “Boy With A Coin” music video minus the heartbreak, and I loved that. “Meet Me Halfway” gives you a good look into the various influences that make up Dekel’s unique sound. From that Klezmer sound that felt like home to me to the more classic indie-pop vibe all the way to that Flamenco-feeling beat– Dekel keeps you on your toes.

I know that I obviously can’t claim “My Song” as my own song as it is Dekel’s, but this second-to-last song touched me deep down to my soul. It’s the kind of song that makes you grab your coziest blanket, warmest cup of coffee, and favorite cat (although, I know, we don’t have favorites when it comes to pets, but, come on, you know what one you would pick). Although another one that leans into the beauty of heartbreak, there’s something just so warm and comforting about this song, and it seems to be an excellent way for Dekel almost to ease you back into the real world.

Closing out ‘Starlings’ is the beautiful “Borrowed From The Soul .”Although “My Song” definitely helps get you started on the journey back to the real world, this final song does the job so perfectly. This song reminds you that you are allowed to be you. As Dekel puts it, “I’m allowed to touch, allowed to love .”I know those are simple words (which she goes on to explain in the lyrics), but the way they are presented in this final song is such a perfect way to remind you that, at the end of the day, you are a human, not a machine. I think that’s the message that I needed to both keep me going for another couple of hours after my crazy day while also making sure I understand that, at the end of the day, it’s okay to take a break.

Honestly, I almost didn’t do this review tonight. I have too much to do yet today and have zero time to do it but there was something in my heart that said I should really take a breather and check this out. I am so glad I did.

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