Contemporary Israeli artist Tamar Aphek has found her place around the world thanks in part to her captivating new album, All Bets Are Off (via Kill Rock Stars). It was recorded at Daptone Records’ studio in Brooklyn, New York, and mixed by Daniel Schlett (The War on Drugs, DIIV, Sessa). With her talented bandmates, Tamar unveils the nature of improvisation and explorative rhythms – doing so with ease and valor. The album creates a visceral landscape of intense percussion, mechanical guitars, and sonic surprises throughout.
After EPs and composition work over the last few years, her solo debut escapes the foreseen unknowns in making a record and trades them for an entrance into vast musical territory. The notable underground act immersed herself with music at a young age by learning piano and singing in a choir. While she was in the army, Aphek quickly learned her way around the guitar and began to run alongside the likes of distorted alternative music such as Fugazi and Unwound.
Naturally drawing musical inspiration from around the world, Tamar notes in an interview with Konstantinos Pappis, “the Israeli underground music scene is part of the global underground scene.” All Bets Are Off exemplifies the modern acknowledgment of underground music with identifiable inspiration being lent from Krautrock, Dischord Records, and the more experimental songwriting of the Madchester scene.
“All I Know” has a strong narrative character. Each synthesizer and organ part compliments Tamar’s drawling voice and ever so telling chorus ending with, “all I know is that you are not with me / and all I know is that I’m not really me.” Rather than maintaining a single story, the songs invoke the feeling of urban legends and all of their iterations.
“Drive” builds itself up progressively and forcefully like the music of all three of those aforementioned scenes would, though its distinguished poise is rooted in Tamar’s songwriting. The guitar-centric refrain is drenched in delay and even comparable to Barret-era Pink Floyd, if not more intriguing.
“Nothing Can Surprise Me” shows that the band had the space to develop the sound of each song attentively. The production really shines through on a track like this where the collective’s natural eccentricity fills the room in all of their rhythmic glory while the creative use of sharp distortion still sits comfortably in the backseat.
All Bets Are Off is certainly one of the most exciting releases of the year thus far. The project reaches its way across countries in its creation and reception. It’s a solid contribution to independent music as a whole…and the songs rock.
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Track List:
- Russian Winter
- Show Me Your Pretty Side
- All I Know
- Drive
- Too Much Information
- Crossbow
- Beautiful Confusion
- Nothing Can Surprise Me
- As Time Goes By
