Daniel Grinberg is an American— well, South American. Sort of. Born in Buenos Aries, Grinberg now resides in Israel. Build as a multi-instrumentalist, he uses three different vocalists (two female, one male) on his album Short Stories. It does sound quite (North) American and fits well alongside today’s crop of Americana and indie artists.
Unlike some artists, it’s Grinberg’s slower numbers that seem to grab the listener’s attention. “White Fields,” for example, has a nice melody sung over lightly plucked acoustic guitar but also features a nice rocky bridge. Similarly, “80 Years,” the opening track, is a wonderfully reflective song that examines the human lifespan. Both tracks are sung by a lady simply named Alex who in spots sounds like Canada’s LIGHTS.
A fellow named Yoav Arbel takes the vocal duties on “The Forest.” He sounds a bit like Jim Morrison, but it works well with the haunting music on this particular song. There’s a nice hook in the chorus too. The Morrison-like vocals aside, the song still sounds fresh and modern.
“House of Dreams” is just as haunting, but the vocal supplied by Aveva Dese give it a country & western feel, though not in the vein of today’s acts. It’s more reminiscent of the country music of the late ‘70s that had success crossing over into the mainstream pop chart.
Speaking of the ‘70s, Alex returns on “Back Home,” a slice of ‘70s AM radio gold that alternates between the subdued and the rocky. Sadly, it ends too soon. This should clearly be the single.
The album overall sounds quite cohesive, even with the three distinct vocal styles, a credit to Grinberg’s vision. Released last fall it’s just now starting to pick up some well-deserved heat. Consider it an oasis in what can sometimes be a barren musical landscape.
9 Stars Out of 10
PF Wilson has been writing about music, TV, radio, and movies for over 20 years. He has also written about sports, business, and politics with his work appearing in Cincinnati CityBeat, The Houston Press, Cleveland Scene, Cincinnati Magazine, Cincy Magazine, Atomic Ranch, and many more. Check out his podcast PF’s Tape Recorder available from Podbean or in iTunes.