It has only been a bit more than a year since Dudu Tassa's last great album Schachoret really swept me off my feet, and now his new album is stealing the show. Tassa is on fire in his new album Eer U'behalot, an album I could (and have) listen to on repeat for the last couple of weeks.
Tassa has been around for a while, and he is here to stay. With ten albums in his repertoire, Tassa has been working hard, evolving and growing, creating beloved songs you could never get enough of, and radio hits which somehow don't sound banal.
He is mainstream, embraced by popular radio stations, but still keeps his quality, innovating all the time. He brings together authentic oriental sounds, alongside rock and roll guitars, creating something that is just so beautifully accurate. Tassa's lyrics are poetic and deep, but still sharp and kicking. And most of all, he doesn't give up on the music.The tune is a part of the story he tells, and the instrumental parts enrich the songs with another point of view to the story, creating his unique sound and taking you all-in. Only one question is left unanswered – how the hell does he manage to be such a virtuoso playing the instrumental parts on his guitar, while singing a different tune the same time?Tassa's band is headed by talented Nir Maimon playing the bass and producing the songs. Other members are Barak Krem on the drums, Ariel Kassis playing the Kanon, keyboard and computer, Neta Cohen-Shani on the cello, Nitzan Kanti on violin and Maya Lee Roman on viola.In Eer U'behalot he cooperates with Micha Shitrit and Eli Eliyahu, besides his permanent partner Nir Maimon. This album continues the personal line of Schachoret but is a bit more artistic, dark, more melancholic. Tassa is on a search, he digs into his deepest wounds, explores his self, his home, his love and his city. Each song is different than the other, the first track, In The Memory Of Gaya, is instrumental, the second, Lo 0394, starts instrumentally, with Tassa's voice only coming in after two whole minutes.The third song is the rocking Lasim Tarosh, and then Germania, the first radio single of this album, a beautiful monologue about a failing relationship, full of sentiments. Tassa's desperate voice tone along with the complex music – acoustic strings, electric guitars and electronic effects, complete the beautiful lyrics. His heart and songs are one, and that is what he is all about. Mitot Nifradot is the next step of the love story, and then Eer U'behalot, which is the album's theme song, creating a thriller-like vibe, singing about creation out of anxiety. Limud Rehiva is a beautiful metaphoric ballade written by Yali Sobol, Hashash Leshitfonot is a bit more hopeful, right before Ben Shel Aba Sheli, which is a small intimate song about the connection between a father and his son, Tassa's beautiful voice and words brings me to tears hearing this one.The last song Baninu Tainu, leaves an open window to the past and to the future, with another spectacular performance of Tassa's unique musical style.Tassa's new album is an hour of digging in to the soul, in a cleansing way that's almost like therapy. The album deals with life difficulties, without using any clichés, just his beautiful voice, intelligent production and gifted musical skills.