Search - Jon Madof Rashanim :: Shalosh

4 1/2 stars--- downtown guitar hero.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 11/03/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Shalosh" is the third album by Jon Madof's Rashanim-- a rock power trio (Madof on guitars, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on bass and Matthias Kunzli on drums) performing thoroughly Jewish jam band-styled punky downtown music. What catches you right away about this record, about all of Rashanim's work really, is a sort of infectiousness to the music-- the instantly hummable melodies, like Monk's work, get stuck in your head and provide a great framework for three very talented young musicians to work their magic.



Still I think in many ways the real difference in "Shalosh" to the prior Rashanim efforts is that it is very much a guitar driven record-- Madof is featured pretty much throughout and is straight up in front, whether soaked in wah ("Ein Gedi"), pretty and delicate (acoustic "Jerusalem") or fierce and punky ("Jacob and Esau"). The strength of his playing carries the record as he dives between near-Klezmer performances ("Cracow Niggun") to punk takes on Dick Dale ("Atbash"). This isn't to imply that Blumenkranz or Kunzli are idle-- on the contrary both dial in fantastically and are in lock-step with the leader, but on both their debut and "Masada Rock", there seemed to be a number of moments where the bassist and drummer stole the show, here those are fewer and further between.



There's admittedly not much revelatory about this record-- it's pretty much a continuation of prior efforts, albeit with a bit more acoustic work, atmosphere ("Ar Aare") and focus than previous records. But it does have the effect of making their previous records pale in comparison. It's missing something to make me think of it as a masterpiece, but it's certainly a fine album. Highly recommended."