Yoav (Brighton)

There is no mistaking Yoav when he takes to the stage. His bare feet and their alarmingly dextrous relationship with the concise array of effects pedals just in front of him, and his approach to the acoustic guitar, as much percussive as tonal instrument, ensures that we can’t really be watching anyone else in this small but well-populated function room above a pub in Brighton.

The eerie urban quality of his music doesn’t prepare for the diminutive Israeli-born singer, who appears onstage unassumingly enough, briefly sets up his guitar, and kicks off the set not with a verbal introduction, but a series of noises that seem quite unprecedented given their volume and origin (i.e. his ordinary-looking acoustic guitar). This is just not like any other acoustic guitar performance; Yoav is a virtuoso. It is not the captivating songs, the brilliant fret and finger work or the soulful singing that make this musician stand out, it is the combination of all of these with his awe inspiring (and visually fascinating) capacity to provide a very rich percussive and multi-layered musical backing to himself. This is done with a connection from his acoustic pick ups to a sampling machine. The amplified sounds can be looped and played over one another to fill the room with flicks and specks of sound. A phenomenal rhythm and extremely well rehearsed familiarity with his material means the performance has almost unimaginable slickness.

The set simply goes through tracks from the debut album 'Charmed And Strange', showcasing the record’s abstract lyrical themes and unique technical ability almost note for note. It opens with 'Live' and flows from trick to stunning trick through each alienated song, giving them a warmer edge for being live. The audience can only be spellbound, but one can imagine them dancing under different circumstances. 'Club Thing' has a wealth of pulsing beats and could easily find itself on DJ’s turntables.

The Prince Albert, Brighton, 14th January 2008.

Written by Huw Green.