I’m gonna start Wednesday morning with some Israeli shoegaze, courtesy of Vaadat Charigim, a Tel-Aviv trio who sings in Hebrew, and who’s name roughly translates to “exceptions committee.” Cool.
I first caught wind of these guys back in 2016, when they played a show at the Echoplex in L.A. I’d heard good things about them, particularly in regards to being a power trio with inclinations towards late ’80s – early ’90s indie and shoegaze rock. I also heard frontman Yuval Haring was highly influenced by the Goo Goo Dolls. I never quite figured that one out. But to each their own.
Vaadat Charigim’s “Kezef al Hamayim” is the sharp powerhouse focus of this a.m. post. And what a curious force it is. This one has a driving rhythmic pulse that elevates it towards the likes of Swervedriver, or something more contemporary like Nothing. There’s a lot of reverberating noise in there, but it’s sculpted and refined to a slick smooth hum of sound. The aural wall is definitely there, but not in the sense that it’s going to crash down and overwhelm.
And the deeper vocals of Haring tend to shift the tone from ethereal to grounded, still maintaining a spatial quality that allows the sound to breathe. I don’t speak Hebrew, so I have no idea what he’s saying. But I also don’t feel that’s necessary to experience the full impact of “Kezef al Hamayim.” I think of his voice as another instrument in their kit, and it balances just right. And as whole, it transcends the language barrier through sheer composition and artistry.
Check it out …
“Kezef al Hamayim” from the 2013 album “The World is Well Lost.”
