Two Roses
Naive, 2021
9/10
The bassist and vocalist Avishai Cohen is in fine company here as Elchin Shirinov handles piano, Mark Guiliana sits behind the drum kit and the Goteborg Symphonic Orchestra lends their inimitable talent to Cohen’s cautious melodies and diverse influences.
“Almah Sleeping” starts the listen and brings in an elegant beauty that’s full of sweeping strings as a cinematic quality welcomes ebbs of calm and swells of tense emotion, and “When I”m Falling”, an original, follows with expressive singing amid the Goteburg Symphony Orchestra’s textured, rich song craft.
Approaching the middle, “Nature Boy” builds into sublime, orchestral musicianship alongside soft singing in a poetic climate, while “Emotional Storm” brings a frisky pace to an exciting atmosphere that could soundtrack a chase scene. “A Child Is Born”, the album standout, then displays a soothing chemistry as the carefully manipulated strings and percussion interact with a glorious atmosphere in E major.
Deeper still, “Morenika”, a traditional Ladino tune, is full of cultured song craft as the flutes add a dreamy aspect, and “Nature Talking”, a Eben Ahbez song, finishes the listen with flowing, precise skill from the orchestra.
Some of these songs are hundreds of years old, and Cohen’s meticulous interpretation of them touches on Afro-Caribbean sounds, Israeli folk music, and traces of Russian, African, and Middle Eastern lineage in his unique and absorbing vision. A truly remarkable listening experience, this is.
Travels well with: N.O.A- Afterallogy; Eileen Ivers- Scatter The Light