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Have you ever wondered what would
happen if Pink Floyd and PJ Harvey crossed paths
in a cafe in Israel and subsequently took a road
trip to South Africa? What if they met up with Radiohead
in Morocco along the way? The result would be close
to what you'll find in Haran, the latest
achievement of the Jewish folk group, Pharaoh's
Daughter. Infusing an eclectic instrumental blend
of traditional Judaic tunes with Arabic rhythm and
African beats, Haran is an infectiously beautiful
album full of haunting joy.
Pharaoh's Daughter is fronted by New York native,
Basya Schechter, whose musical inspirations come
from her own experiences growing up Orthodox, and
later during her travels through the Middle East
and West Africa. Backed by a fine set of musicians
whose skills range from classical to jazz and instruments
that run the gamut from recorder to accordion, Haran
is the kind of album that radiates with spiritual
energy while maintaining a rock and roll intensity.
In the age of iTunes with a constant demand for
hit singles, albums that tell a story are a rare
treat. Haran starts out with the ethereal "By
Way of Haran" and is followed by the clever
and catchy "Ka Ribon," an intensely psychedelic
tune that slowly builds with delightful frenetic
energy. The rest of the tracks range from hypnotic
to trippy. "Hagar," a tremendously flirtatious
tune blends nicely into "Enpesare," one
of the more exciting and energetic songs on Haran.
More demure tunes like "Yona" bring an
end to this journey, but the second to last track,
"Hashomer," reminds you that Pharaoh's
Daughter, well, rocks.
The lyrics fluctuate between Aramaic, Hebrew and
Ladino and there are a few songs with free form
vocals by Schechter that are reminiscent of spiritual
chants. Don't worry about brushing up on that Talmudic
reading; the passion behind each song is so well
translated by Schechter's beautiful voice and her
very capable musicians that you feel fluent. Haran
is the kind of album that gives Pharaoh's Daughter
the staying power most musicians strive for. Let's
just hope they'll keep inviting us along for the
ride.
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