Yoav’s debut album, Charmed and Strange (2008), had an extraordinary effect on people around the world. Since its release, he has been on a journey of sold-out headline shows in Canada, the U.S., and Europe. A North American tour with Tori Amos saw Yoav sell almost 9,000 discs off stage in just 3 months. He’s been an iTunes Canada ‘Single Of The Week’ feature artist. He’s had a #1 song in Russia, where he also received a special RAMP award (Rock Alternative Music Prize) in recognition of his achievements. After only one radio session in Denmark, within 24 hours Charmed and Strange climbed to # 1 on their iTunes album chart.
Born in Israel and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Yoav’s parents favored classical and traditional music, encouraging their son towards those genres. Nevertheless, at the age of nine, Yoav began sneaking off to the neighbors to soak up the hits of British radio acts. By twelve, while his family slept, he was in the backyard practicing quietly on a battered guitar his older brother had given him.
Yoav is not an easy artist to pigeonhole. His progressive, acoustic, singer/songwriter style is fused with an electronic aesthetic, giving a mindful nod to DJ culture, and escapes conventional definition. “Wherever I’ve been, I’ve always been outside of things. And the people I’ve connected with have always been that way, too. It makes you lonely but, at the same time, I wouldn’t change it. I’m really glad I’m living the life I’m living. Different cultures, different art, different mindsets. I want more.”
Moving from the U.K. to New York further expanded Yoav’s musical mindset. A percussive style eventually took hold in his guitar playing, and inventive live sets followed. Beats are pounded out on his guitar’s body, loop stations add layers of sound and voice, and everything is artfully conducted by his dexterous hands and feet. “If you look at a guitar, there is a standard way you play it,” remarks Yoav. “You either pick or play chords.” But why stop there? “I’m very into hip-hop and electronic music, and some other sounds you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the acoustic guitar, looping and processing them. Melodically and rhythmically, everything changes when you move away from picking and strumming.”
Yoav’s songs have been featured on the popular TV shows One Tree Hill, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Mentalist. He also performed on the immensely popular UK music show, Later with Jools Holland and on MTV Live.
Experimentation with sound from his acoustic guitar is an area in which Yoav thrives, and a direction he is intent on continuing to explore. With his second album, A Foolproof Escape Plan, he further pushes the sounds of pop music and instrumentation. True to his reputation as global citizen, Yoav spent 2009 writing songs in London, South Africa, and Venice Beach, California, collaborating with a mélange of musicians and artists from around the world to add to the richness of his sound. Joey Waronker—the outstanding American music producer and drummer who has worked with Thom Yorke, Beck, Smashing Pumpkins, and R.E.M.—took the producer’s chair.
Like Charmed and Strange, most of the sounds on Yoav’s sophomore album, A Foolproof Escape Plan, were created solely with his acoustic guitar. Except for a few piano and cello parts, all the drum, bass, keyboard and piano sounds were beaten and dragged out of his trusty Lowden acoustic.
The songs on A Foolproof Escape Plan further reflect Yoav’s experiences and his connection to current global issues, but this is also a highly personal record that is both honest and introspective. The debut single Yellowbrite Smile uses the iconic cliché of a smiley face to reflect the passive acceptance of our increasingly absurd and fast-paced existence, the selling of distraction, and the commercialization of happiness. In Easy Chair, Yoav reminisces about childhood, his signature guitar beats pulsating throughout. Many of the songs on A Foolproof Escape Plan explore his experience of the spiraling chaos of the world around him: Changing relationships. A world unbalanced. The constantly transforming face of music. In his own way, Yoav is embracing the answers he uncovers, and calming the chaos with loops, beats, voice and guitar in hand.
Blink
Yoav Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't come round
Too much any more
And it's been so long
since anithing got trough
not just with the tide
i've barely been alive
just pretend
or talking round in circles
in corners in the dark
acting all discreet
keeping a safe distance
but never far apart
and I blink and I'm lost
it's a twisted tringle
then I blink and you're gone
there's not a thing I could do
all the things that I would do
just pretend
but only for the moment
thet there's no looking back
for karma's cold revenge
and no peeking in the future
it's like jumping off a cliff
could you imagine it
Precious one
you cause me to question
I can't tell wrong from right
I'll ... the consequences
and all of your defences
if only for the night
I can't wait for the night
and I blink and I'm lost
it's a twisted tringle
then I blink and you're gone
it's not a thing that I could do
all the things that I would do to have you
there's not a thing that I could do
all the things that I would do to have you
watch
the sweet
sunrise
hide
your secret
smile
hide
your secret
it's not a thing that I could do
all the things that I would do to have you
it's not a thing that I could do
all the things that I would do to have you
and I blink and I'm lost
then I blink and you're gone
In Yoav's song Blink, the singer addresses someone dear to them, calling them 'Precious one'. However, this person has not been around as often, leaving the singer feeling distant and barely alive. The singer pretends that there is no need to talk, as it seems futile to do so. They act discreet, keeping a safe distance but never far apart from the precious one. However, the singer finds themselves lost and alone when they blink, feeling trapped in a twisted tangle, which they could not undo. The song talks about this push-and-pull feeling in a relationship where one person has distanced themselves, leaving the other lost and confused.
The singer goes on to acknowledge that there is no point in looking back or trying to peek into the future. They compare it to jumping off a cliff and question whether the precious one would be able to imagine it. The singer seems to be questioning whether they should continue holding on to this relationship or let go of it. The song ends with the singer comforting themselves by acknowledging that the precious one is not there, but they can imagine having them and all the things they would do.
Line by Line Meaning
Precious one
Addressing someone special
You don't come round
You are not around often
Too much any more
You are not around as much as you used to be
And it's been so long
It has been a while since we talked
since anything got through
I feel like we aren't able to connect anymore
not just with the tide
Not just with the passing of time
i've barely been alive
I haven't been feeling very alive lately
just pretend
Let's pretend that everything is normal
there's no need to lay words on
We don't need to talk about our feelings
or talking round in circles
We keep talking without really making progress
in corners in the dark
We keep avoiding each other
acting all discreet
We are keeping our distance
keeping a safe distance
We are trying to avoid getting hurt
but never far apart
Despite being distant, we are still connected
and I blink and I'm lost
I feel lost when I think about you
it's a twisted tringle
It's a complicated situation
then I blink and you're gone
Suddenly you are gone from my thoughts
there's not a thing I could do
I feel helpless
all the things that I would do
I would do anything to have you back
but only for the moment
Just for a short time
the that there's no looking back
We can't dwell on the past
for karma's cold revenge
We will face the consequences of our actions
and no peeking in the future
We can't predict what will happen
it's like jumping off a cliff
It's a risky situation
could you imagine it
Can you picture it?
you cause me to question
You make me question myself
I can't tell wrong from right
I am unsure of what is the right thing to do
I'll ... the consequences
I will deal with the consequences
and all of your defences
I will break down your walls
if only for the night
Even if it's just for one night
I can't wait for the night
I am looking forward to spending time with you
watch
Pay attention
the sweet
The beautiful
sunrise
The start of a new day
hide
Conceal
your secret
Your true feelings
smile
Fake happiness
it's not a thing that I could do
I am powerless
all the things that I would do to have you
I would do anything to be with you
then I blink and you're gone
You disappear from my thoughts again
Contributed by Benjamin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.