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Ghost Canyon

Title - Gliding and Hiding
Artist - Malka Spigel

For the uninitiated, Israeli vocalist Malka Spigel’s music feels like something that is altogether new and fresh. And that may seem like quite the feat when you consider that she has been in the game for well over 30 years, both as a solo artist and as a member of post-punk outfit Minimal Compact.

But with the release of Gliding and Hiding in June 2022, Spigel has delivered something that is not exactly new, but is certainly fresh.

Gliding and Hiding is a mashing-up of selections from two of the songstress’ previous albums; 2014’s Gliding EP and the 2997 release, Hide.

This new title serves this marriage well, and having never heard either of the individual records, I was very keen to take a listen.

1. Strumgliding (2014 version)
2. Hacol Zaram Beyachad (2014 version)
3. Tall Grey Buildings (2014 version)
4. Dreamwalking (2014 version)
5. Hide (2022 version)
6. I Just Want (2022 version)
7. Besof Hayom (2022 version)
8. Returning Wheel (2022 version)

Strumgliding is an ambient jam that approaches an impressive seven minutes in length. Hazy electronics give way to resonant, plucky guitars and a driving drum beat. Any kind of vocal doesn’t kick in until nearly three minutes into the song. And even then, the lyrics consist of only one word: “Strumgliding.” I don’t know what it means, exactly, but I get serious Joe Satriani Surfing With the Alien vibes from it.

That almost mystical undertone carries over into Hacol Zaram Beyachad, a song that was overall an instant contender for Favorite Track. The words to the song are all in Hebrew, so knowing that language would certainly enhance the listening experience. But even without the benefit of understanding the lyrics, not much is lost because the listener still has the pleasure of enjoying a background of pop-tronica and singing that deftly straddles the line between breathy and melodic.

In many ways, Spigel almost feels like Israel’s answer to Enya, both vocally and musically. This is for both the better and worse, as many of the songs sound stylistically very much the same, particularly when it comes to the electric ambience that runs continuously under every other instrument. And like Enya, the lyrics can be occasionally lost inside the featherlight singing. This is especially the case with Tall Grey Buildings.

Indeed, this is an album best listened to with headphones in; if not to ensure that you catch the words in I Just Want, then to get wholly lost in the track’s drum machines and pumping bass beats.

Malka Spigel’s collaboration with Colin Newman to put a new twist on some old songs is a commendable effort, if not one most appreciated by longtime fans. For everyone else, this is as good of an introduction as we could have hoped for.

Review by: Ashley J. Cicotte

Official Purchase Link

Official Website

Malka Spigel @ Facebook

Malka Spigel @ Spotify





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