The sounds of Spring (Aviv) [pg. 24]

By VIVA SARAH PRESS
Aviv Geffen With the Time (Helicon) Aviv Geffen's latest songs took no time to triumph over local radio rotations. Galgalaz, the country's most popular station on the dial, has ltaken to spinning at least one Geffen song per hour. "With the Time," "Tomorrow," and "For You" are the three most played singles at the moment. All three have decent melodies, but as is customary with Geffen, his lyrics are what make him stand out. On this album he seems to be defining himself, or perhaps searching for himself. The youth rock hero has moved into a new stage of life; he's married, settled into a routine, and now 30-something. His texts reflect his new status. His opening song reads, "And with the time, with the time everything is transient...and you forgot a while ago what you're looking for and that's okay with you because everything is temporary." The album can be defined as a personal light rock one. "For You" is a standard Geffen ballad; "Tomorrow" has an indie pop feel; and "You, the Dog and Me" is a peppy harmonious track. Geffen penned nine of 10 tracks on the CD, the title track is translated. Like the straightforward cover of the disc, this album is an unpretentious and uncluttered one. The "special edition" of With the Time comes with a second CD, Out of the Race, which includes 10 instrumental tracks, including new renditions to some of his well-known songs. Out of the Race sounds like a soundtrack looking to accompany a film. The music is intimate and likable. Din Din Aviv Sodotai (My Secrets) (Hed Arzi) I have been a fan of Din Din Aviv since I first heard her sing the popular song, "Im Telech," with the Idan Raichel Project three years ago. While seeing the Project perform live was an overall exhilarating experience, it was Aviv's beautiful voice that proved to be the most powerful moment of the show. Now, the singer-dancer has released a solo album, My Secrets. Her title track is by far the best track on the album, and has prevailed on radio rotations. "Eleheha" is also an impressive track - both musically and textually. Throughout the course of the album, Aviv harmonizes on 13 songs which were penned by some of the top artists including Mosh Ben Arie, Lea Shabat, and Idan Raichel. Aviv comes from a family of musicians. She and her mother, singer Aliza Aviv, present a world music program around the country in which they both sing in Turkish, Kurdish, Greek, Bulgarian, Georgian, Persian and Hebrew. Her tunes on My Secrets hint every now and then at different cultures. She has also performed with the Gaya Ensemble, Fools of Prophecy, Alidin, and Shlomo Artzi among others. Overall, the music on My Secrets is easy on the ear. And while there's nothing wrong with this album, there's also nothing overly outstanding.