Sabra Sounds: Loco lyrics don't cut it

Although pegged as a party album, Alon De Loco's bash is not one this reviewer would like to attend.

By VIVA SARAH PRESS
de loco disk88 (photo credit: )
de loco disk88
(photo credit: )
ALON DE LOCO Homer Lemesiba (Party Material) (I&I/IMP Records) Although pegged as a party album, Alon De Loco's bash is not one this reviewer would like to attend. While hip hop/rap is abundant in the local music scene, there always seems to be room for more talent. And while Alon Cohen (who goes by the moniker Alon De Loco) has fans, this reviewer finds his lyrics lack style and substance. There's also something very nasal about his rapping. Most recently De Loco participated in the summer's Coca Cola Music Festival. He could also be found rapping with R&B duo Say La Vi. The 30-year-old Beersheva rapper notes he started his singing career at 15 by singing covers and then moved on to original material. His influences include Michael Jackson, Sean Paul and MC Hammer. Actually De Loco has described his album as the first Israeli dance-hall style release and not hip hop in genre. But De Loco is so far from being this country's Sean Paul, that to categorize his music one must slot it into the wider hip hop field. The one tolerable track on Homer Lemesiba is "Zozo". However, to simply rap with a Jamaican accent just doesn't cut it. While his music might not be paramount, De Loco has the hip hop look down pat: and that seems to be something very important to him based on his album cover and web site. In addition to music De Loco runs two dance schools - breakdance, freestyle, and hip hop - in Beersheva and Kiryat Gat. With the local music industry chock-full with mediocre talents, it's probably a good idea for De Loco to stick to dancing. SHIM EDRI Litzok Velachlom (To Shout and To Dream) (Hatav Hashmini) Shim Edri's To Shout and To Dream is a cool looking album. The graphic designer-singer did his own artwork. The 28-year-old alo wrote, composed, vocalized and played guitar on all 11 tracks of his debut solo album. Edri, born and raised in Kiryat Yam, says he began penning songs at the age of 13. With school buddies he launched the now defunct band, Metziyut Mamshit. And while he wrote most of the repertoire, he was the band's guitar player and was relegated to singing backup. Last year Edri took matters into his own hands and started on the process of writing original songs for him to sing. Three singles off the album, To Shout and To Dream, include "Baniti Chalal," "Lekol Mi Shecholem," and "Ohev". His songs - with accompanying video clips can be seen on Music Channel 24 - are touching, pleasing, and fresh.