Asaf Avidan is a singer-songrwriter living in Tel Aviv. He has one of those voices that fill you with awe and uncertainty when you listen to them. Awe because of their expressiveness, and uncertainty because it’s not so easy to tell if you hear a man or a woman. (Like in the cases of Tracy Chapman, Antony Hegarty and, more recently, Joe Newman of Alt-J.)
When the singer is really good, this ambiguity doesn’t distract but makes them more interesting. I take it as proof that there is greatness outside the boundaries of the so-called standards and norms, and that one doesn’t necessarily have to conform to them to be widely recognized and successful. Asaf Avidan is not only a really good singer, but a fine songwriter too. He sounds like a cross between Janis Joplin and Macy Gray, and he writes and performs with such passion that makes him worthy of those comparisons.
LINKS: asafavidanmusic.com | Asaf on Facebook